K15 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Wild Oats graduate K15 appears here under the Culross Close moniker, a title that is perhaps reserved for slower, deeper, and more beautiful things such as this latest six-tracker for Japan's Sound Of Speed. "Home" kicks things off with a mild-paced, sun-kissed groove for the downtempo heads, "Meditations" is a distinctly jazzy moment, "Fatherless Boys" takes us back to Dego-like broken beat years, and "Spark!" heads back to the Blue Note for some more jazz experimentation. Over on the B-side, "Requiem+Reflections" nods to house and salutes funk, whereas "(Faith)" meanders its placid waters through a long, meditative river of harmony. Beautifully executed music, end of.

Review: K15 has never let us down ever since he emerged with a brilliant double pack on Kyle Hall's Wild Oats several years ago. The thoughtful London-based beat smith turns up here on 200 Lack, the acclaimed also London-based outlet for broken beats. 'Resonance' is a gorgeously shimmering and summery opener with pensive chords and lush drumming, while 'Within Reach" then brings some playful funkiness with the majestic squelchy bass work and free-spirited melodies that dart about up top. 'Resistance' closes down this superb EP with more thrilling drum patterns and lithe synths.

Review: We're always stoked to hear a new 12" from K15. The London beat maker has plenty of tricks in his box, from lush deep house to jazzed-out synth music, collaborative projects that fuse the two and plenty more. Here the deep thinking producer layers up cosmic synth work with jostling broken beats and far-sighted pads that speak to Detroit. That's the case on the heady A-side 'Demo of Heart' at least, while things get more funk and energetic on 'Tomorrow's Promise,' a perfect coming together of London beats, sun-worshipping synths and jazz invention.

Review: K15 is a special talent who brings spirituality to everything he does. This new one for Esencia opens with a cleansing bit of bright, cosmic ambiance that gets your attention and prepares you for what it to come. Firstly, that is 'Feel More,' a groover space dance on nice wooden hits and scattered kicks all overlaid with tender, nimble key work. It's lush and gorgeous. 'Tiny Triumphs' has shimmering hi hats and dynamic bass that is utterly off grid and brilliant as it stumbles through the stars and 'In The Doing' slows things down but the quality of the chords, the impromptu feel of the tracks and the general feel good vibes never wane.

Review: Kieron "K15" Ifill's music has not had much hype to date, despite a five-year career that has included singles for such admirable imprints as WotNot, Wild Oats and Apron. It would be nice to think that his latest two-tracker might buck the trend, because it's certainly worthy of plentiful praise. A-side "Brighter" more than lives up to its name, with Ifill layering sparkling, spacey and sun-bright jazz-funk synths atop a meandering bassline and swinging deep house beats. "Darker" is a little less bright and breezy, but still far warmer than its title suggests. In fact, its assembled music elements - rubbery synth-bass, glacial chords, jangling pianos and chiming lead lines - are still pretty positive despite an in-built hint of melancholy.

Review: Under the K15 alias, Kieran Ifill has been responsible for some wonderful deep, expansive and soulful music on Eglo, Wild Oats, Lo Recordings and WotNot Music. Here he returns to the latter for the first time in four years. He hits his stride straight away with "Be Glad You Create Anything", a sparkling, mid-tempo shuffler that wraps darting, Kaidi Tatham style jazz-funk synth motifs around loose and languid beats and a suitably warm and attractive bassline. Ifill's love of fluid piano lines, eyes-closed electronics and dreamy chords once again comes to the fore on 120 BPM deep bumper "Communion", before the producer treats us to the deliciously loved-up, poignant and sumptuous head-nodding bliss that is fine closer "You're Alive (There's Still Time)". In a word: superb.

Review: Many years after the first instalment we are now treated to a second volume of the Culross Close project from K15, a one time Wild Oats graduate, artist, DJ, producer and deep thinker who mixes up house, hip hop and jazz. He assumes his usual alias for the opener 'Pulse' which dances on dusty drums with nagging melodies in the middle and plenty of swing. On the flip he becomes Culross Close for 'Dawn' which his less club ready and more expressive, with heart melting pianos and a real jumble of drums and perc that is brilliantly loose.

Review: It's always good to see a split release from two artists whose track records (no pun intended) make it very difficult to predict where the new wares will fit. Which is exactly the case with this one, given K15's oeuvre name-checks imprints like Wotnot Music, Eglo and Wild Oats, while SMDB has appeared on Funkineven's Apron and the always great Lo Recordings in recent years. Needless to say, then, if we can rely on one thing it's that everything on this expansive, obscure collection of curveballs will be deep and richly textured. From 'Pace & Time''s downtempo barroom jazz, to the shuffling broken beats and waves of synth on 'Dry Mango (Part 2)', the confusing beat structures and delicate piano play of 'Earth State' to 'Syntherlude''s beat-less, science fiction tune up, it's all well made stuff.