Employee

From the moment the needle hits the record, it’s obvious that Bakked’s latest EP – his first on the freshly minted Outban imprint – is a cannily produced, retro-futurist affair. Check for example opener “6336”, a sweaty and forthright affair that wraps a 1980s Chicago house style bassline and wiggly acid lines around a tough 21st century tech-house groove. He’s at it again on “6125”, where pads, chords and melodies reminiscent of late ’90s UK tech-house jostle for audio space alongside trippy electronic noises and a thumping beat. Flipside opener “Claim” is arguably closer in tone to contemporary tech-house, albeit with a nod towards 90s US garage, while standout “1212” manages to be formidably funky, deep and dreamy and closing cut “64b” is a fuzzy, up-tempo drum track that never lets up.