Katzuma - Life in the City EP (Kinjo)

I've been following the Katzuma boys ever since their CD 'Dr Know' came out in 2010, a fine showcase of this Italian duo's ability to produce soul-soothingly warm and organic disco from scratch (no edits, no reworks, but good old fashioned craftmanship). The standout cut on that CD, "Where I'm Coming From" got a much-needed 12" release on Headcuts earlier this year, complete with an LTJ Xperience remix.

I was quite surprised to hear that Katzuma were to release a 12" on Dave Allison's Kinjo Imprint, which usually pushes a branch of jacking house I don't care too much for. Dave's involvement with the cheeky Editorial imprint is probably to blame for a serious change in direction for the label, as Kinjo's first release on plastic fuses loose, organic disco and moody deephouse quite brilliantly. Hit play below to enjoy the tunes while we ramble on about this record.

Katzuma - Stooned (Tony T Remix) by katzuma

The Italian beatsmiths start things off with titletrack 'Life in The City', a midtempo burner with subtle drums, heavy slapbass, sloppy claps and absolutely stunning keys. Pearl of a tune this. "Music is Made for Love" leans a bit more towards Detroit with its heavy drums, moody pads and crowd chants. The final track of the EP is Stooned, a groovy midtempo chugger with a looped vocal sample that works a real treat. Fantastic stuff and a delightful debut on vinyl for Montreal's Kinjo.

Pick up a copy here