KANT – Dyster EP

Label: HIVE AudioScore: 8/10 

Clearly determined to continue where they left off, Hive Audio’s latest is another inspiring house workout that’ll quickly remind you just why they’ve become such a treasured outfit within the contemporary house music domain. The sounds on this occasion come from KANT, the Danish producer who himself has been whipping up a storm of late thanks to some really stunning releases of his own. And on that tip, it’s no surprise to learn that these guys make for a really solid pairing…

Opening up the lavish EP is the title track that is ‘Dyster’. While we’re not so sure exactly what a dyster is (a Danish oyster perhaps?), what we can state with some certainty is that this is a track worth its weight in proverbial gold. Dark and dangerous thanks to its swelling organ noises and its penchant for unusual violins, it saunters at a lovely pace that makes it one of the label’s most intriguing house workouts for some time. Very much the sound of a producer at the top of his game, by the time it explodes into something different altogether we’re left in no doubt as to its effectiveness.

The A-side is then backed by an equally mesmering effort by label heads, Animal Trainer. Boasting a really mature sound, the guys’ remix is one that plays out like a Bicep track in that it’s expertly woven together and quite clearly owes a debt to the old-school. Moody but great, it’s a wonderful example of just how to put your own sound on a remix. Lastly, KANT’s other original is ‘Kiss’, a zippy and perc-fuelled track that’s pretty much at odds with matters elsewhere. Regardless, it shows the other side of the producer’s arsenal – and closes this package with some esteem.