Caravan - Coarsica EP (Ken Oath)

The inaugural release on Australian imprint Ken Oath is one of the finest bits of plastic I've managed to pick up do far this year. It was Riggles' Slick Like Oil that had me whipping out my AmEx right away, a loopy, sample-heavy basement jam with a killer rubbery bassline, but as often is the case when buying records for one specific tune, the flip ends up being the side you end up playing the most. Donald's House and Low Flung (all new names to me) serve up the delightful kind of delightful contemporary electronic boogie that the likes of Suzanne Kraft and Moon B do so well.

The sophomore effort on Ken Oath, a mini-LP by Caravan called 'Coarsica', is cut from the same boogie cloth and it's really, really good. Six tracks of understated, 80's-tinged electronic boogie to choose from here, none of which would have been out of place on People's Potential Unlimited or Rush Hour's 'Music for Autobahns' compilations. It's not exactly the kind of gear you'd drop in a packed club, but the kind of stuff you reach for when you got an intimate listening session going on at home, or getting things going early in the evening. Basically it's one of those records that gets better with each listen and with a much, much longer shelf life than your average hot new club twelve. 

All the tracks sound like they were made on hardware and have a 'live jam' feel going on, like they were done in one take. I don't really have a favourite, it's a very coherent affair with swirly synth lines, stuttering flutes, sharp claps and square beats galore. Slip into your loafers, your white suit and pink polo shirt, blowdry your hair, dig out your dad's sunnies and cruise along the highway with the top down like a total boss. 

Get it now

We got to hear some snips of a forthcoming '45 by Low Flung that's out soon and it's another melter, so Ken Oath, on the 'buy without listening' list you go!