Artist: U&K
Title: The Ignite EP
Label: Cuba Recordings
By: Simon Jones | 21 August 2003
Tracklist:

• A1: Ignite
• A2: Neurope
• B1: Pixie Pants
• B2: Fussball

U&K "The Ignite EP"

U&K, the Finnish production duo of Uke and Kimik have had a better start to their careers than most. Having been producing together and djing around their home country as well as running their Miau! night, they had slowly been assembling a collection of original productions, but it was a remix they 'did for fun' of Sasha's 'Wavy Gravy' that got the attention of many djs, with Sasha deciding to include it on his 'Artificial Heart EP'. However, the duo have a wide and diverse array of material under their belts, and four of them have been brought together for this EP on Cuba Recordings.

Kicking off the EP is the title track 'Ignite', which draws you in with it's funky looped percussion, before letting loose with a tremendous fluctuating melody which floats subtly over cut up beats and electronic stabs which cause a nice delayed effect on the track's progressive-edged bassline. The melody fades in and out leading into the break, before the beats swing around back on course ready to do some more damage. Drop this one into your sets and just watch the reaction when that melody line kicks in. Huge!!

'Neurope' is up next, and takes that electronic sound down the more downbeat route, hazy beats shuffling through a groove that makes you recall some of the classic synth hits of the 1980s. The droning vocal about the 'sweetest melody' reflects the mood of the track perfectly, and you could be easily mistaken for thinking this is a track by Softcell, Kraftwerk or many of the other great electronic artists of that period.

The other side of the 12" begins with 'Pixie Pants'. Going for a more up to date feel, this little number bases itself around a hypnotic tribal groove, concealing a breathy vocal which occasionally shows it's presence. A deep throbbing bassline sits underneath and subtle pad action is used to keep the percussion interesting, but this is a track for the more direct or darker dj set, unlike the tracks on the a-side of the EP.

It's then left to 'Fussball' to wrap things up, and what a way to do so. Drawing influence from a multitude of styles and influences, the track starts off using rippling breaks and some scratching straight out of an hip hop set. Pretty soon thereafter comes a big electro hook which cuts through the carnage, building towards the break, where the beats go into overdrive, shifting into an acid tinged outro that defies belief. Chaos and mayhem are two words you could use to describe this, and as a way to end this very different and very diverse EP, it was without a doubt the best candidate.

You have to appreciate the EP for it's range of styles and what it offers. Whilst personally I enjoyed the first two tracks more, the only one that I wasn't feeling is 'Pixie Pants'. However, I am sure each individual can find their own favourite here, and I suggest you do so the first chance you get.