Kowton - Utility

Kowton
Utility
2016
Spotify

Utility is the debut album form UK producer Kowton and it is a collection of super slick bass and techno music. From moment one of this record Kowton transports you straight into the darkness of club scene and never lets you go. This is music for people who dance and sway transfixed by what the DJ is doing. Kowton takes movement of music then builds and pushes the track based on that original piece. It allows the song to really explore sometimes getting very dancey and others just putting a groove on the floor. What is really exciting is that Kowton is taking the ideas of dub-step and the ideas of jungle and re-thinking them, putting them into his music in a much more understated way. His use of nuance throughout the album is really impressive, not allowing one genre or another to dominate. The bassline to most of the tracks is a classic four on the floor, using that as a starting point for Kowton to experiment and move the music. It brings the title of the record, Utility, into focus as Kowton tries to use the bare minimum as a starting point and move from there. The fun aspects of the music however are always just on a razors edge, as if a switch could be flipped and instantly everything would take a dark more sinister turn. Even on a track like "Some Cats" that starts bright and feels like it may be taking the album in a while new direction eventually falls in line with the vibe of the rest of the record through bass and percussive punctuation.

What is perhaps the most interesting thing here is the fact that Kowton manages to hold himself back. Where some producers throw everything they can at a debut record Kowton is able restrain himself let the music grow and build at his own pace rather than forcing the issue. It makes for a very industrious, but beautiful sounding record. Where drum and bass can be overpowering and aggressive Utility uses bass in a more gentle, but not quiet, way. Once you reach "Loops 1" you realize that where a lot of electronic music tries to build huge soundscapes Kowton is trying to drill it down all the way to the bottom, the bare necessities with the occasional flourish. Sometimes this can make for heady unapproachable music, but not with this. This entire record could play at a seedy after hours in the wee hours of the night and it would fit right in. The music is also so diverse track to track, even though it feels like it is coming from one place the different riffs and explorations leave a new surprise every time the next track starts. Utility is more than just a blunt instrument, it is a highly evocative work with an intense focus on detail. If you put this record on you are really going to impress your friends and perhaps create some electronic converts. This certainly is one not to miss.

8.0 out of 10