Following on from his massive remix of Jamie Stevensโs โThe Wonder of Youโ last year and his recent update of is own โYohkohโ, and being part of his first new batch of original material since โ2000000 Sunsโ, to say that King Uniqueโs new four-track EP on microCastle has been hotly anticipated is an understatement. The EP sees King Unique try to break away from the tropes people associate him with, and it features the vocal house track โRaydropโ, an instrumental version, the melodic breaks track โSome Breakโ, and the ambient composition โWithout Boxesโ.
โRaydrop (7 Hours)โ is a bouncy, melodic houser, featuring the vocals of longtime collaborator Natalie Arnold (the voice of the classic โBlack A.M.โ, from Matt Thomasโs other project, Waktins, back in 2001). The track itself boasts gently chiming melodies, a supple garagey bassline, and pitch-perfect percussion, which provide the background for the analogue-sounding main theme that complements Arnoldโs vocal part really well. The climax sees the synths reach a frenzied, soaring crescendo over the refrain โWeโll never be lostโ. Bold and heartfelt, this is great stuff from King Unique. The inclusion of a dub version is a good decision, since the vocal wonโt appeal to everyone โ Iโm usually one of those people, and at first I thought Iโd prefer the dub here, but actually Iโve found that Natalie Arnoldโs vocals grew on me after several listens, and Iโd miss them now.
My favourite of the tracks is โSome Breakโ. The percussion sits somewhere between breakbeats and a more traditional four-to-the-floor kick, giving it a lovely skippy feel, while the track soon picks up with an insistent chiming motif and a chugging bassline playing out a strong chord progression. Around the two-minute mark, King Unique starts to layer drifting melodies over the top, and by the breakdown he has added poignant, wavering synths. A really well-chosen and atmospheric vocal sample works a real treat as the track slams back in, delivering an unexpected electro-hit. Understated yet emotional and punchy, this is wonderful stuff from King Unique.
Finally, โWithout Boxesโ is a gentle piece of ambience, very much in the โMachโ style, as Nigel Tufnell would have it, with simple synth lines gradually interlocking, backed by shimmering countermelodies. Itโs a lovely little four-minutes of calm and beauty, tucked away at the end of the EP.
This is a terrific package from King Unique and microCastle, as expected, with โSome Breakโ providing my own personal highlight. 9/10
