It’s possible that English post-dubstep duo Mount Kimbie are about to drop one of the most interesting projects in their career. An expansion of their recent MK 3.5 In Your Eyes & A Deities Encore | Q & Quartz EP as a full LP, MK 3.5 Die Cuts | City Planning sees Dom Maker and Kai Campos continue their experimental approach to collaboration by releasing respective solo LPs as one package under the Mount Kimbie moniker. While Maker leans into his hip-hop and jazz instincts on the LP, Campos looks to be continuing his exploration into house as heard on his recent work with producer Actress.
Pre-order MK 3.5 Die Cuts | City Planning here
Zone 1 (24 Hours) is an atmospheric and stirring house cut from Campos, featuring an undulating bass line that adds a kinetic, fluid motion to his micro-adjacent beats. There’s lots of texture going on, subtle polyrhythms and earthy percussive touches give Zone 1 (24 Hours) a deft richness that sinks you into the track. But it’s Campos’s subtle yet effective arpeggio that’s the masterstroke here. It’s an ever so slight touch of melody that continues to evolve in quality as the track progresses, and which proves to be a formidable earworm hook long after the track finishes.
MK 3.5 Die Cuts | City Planning promises to be an album of contrasts. It’s intriguing to think of how Maker and Campos’s styles will play off each other, or whether they are aiming for harmony in juxtaposition. As their first album as Mount Kimbie in half a decade, this marks a significant shift in direction for the duo. They’re drilling into the very core of Mount Kimbie by choosing to work in their respective individual styles, giving us a rare and captivating look into the mechanics of what has made their collaborative work so distinct.
Listen to Zone 1 (24 Hours) from MK 3.5 Die Cuts | City Planning below.
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