Taker EP (12")

On Morgan Zarate’s latest project, the Taker EP, he touches on a variety of genres and works with two of the best vocalists in the UK scene. On the opening track “Pusher Taker,” Zarate works with the talented Roses Gabor to create a beautiful piece of synth pop magic that has a few nods to some of Prince’s early wor­k. Things get frantic on the trapped out “Katsu,” which takes the vocal chant that was sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle” to a darker part of the club. On “Far Too Late,”, Tawiah’s soulful voice melts into a track that makes you wonder what it would have been like if Sa-Ra Creative Partners had dabbled in the post-dubstep sound. The EP closes out on a cinematic note on taiko drum filled “Tayo,” which could easily be the soundtrack to a chase scene in a movie. Review: Dazzling new EP from the former Spacek producer, vaulting between star-bound R&B, Trap and Sino-Grime with effortless flair. It's quite possibly his strongest, well-rounded effort yet; incredibly intricate and proper future-shocking. There are two vocal bombs; ‘Pusher Taker’ features Gorillax vocalist Roses Gabor like some cyber-siren in a gyroscopic hypeR&B vortex, and Maddslinky-collaborator Tawiah is infused to the future funk bounce of ‘Far Too Late’. ‘Kaytsu’ is a sub-loaded Trap ace fired up with dancehall samples and killer pizzicato strings, and best of all ‘Tayco’ comes off like Photek-meets-Arca with flurries of Gamelan-like percussive chicanery and elsatic synth stabs, whilst bonus track ‘This’ could be an early Dizzee instrumental. Top EP = big recommendation. Boomkat