KiloWatts is best known for his immersive albums that fuse organic instrumentation and synthetic manipulation. PointBender has released a litany of remixes, albums, and singles across many of the industry’s silent giants. Both being no strangers on the HD imprint, it felt prudent to release their first collaborative vinyl release to celebrate Harmonious Discord’s 20th anniversary.
The genesis of the Western Wolf EP was formed in dark warehouses and dirt dancefloors in the late 1990s in Dallas, TX — a truly special time and location in electronic music. However, it wouldn’t be until tens of years later, after multiple individual albums, EPs, and back-and-forth remixes that KiloWatts and PointBender would write music together using the power of the internet.
The Western Wolf EP is a collection of songs marrying electronic synthesis, found sound recording, live instrumentation, and written melodies. The EP starts us off with “Circling the Crown”; a slow-building tease that navigates through all points deep. Fluid rattles and dulcet tones define the pace as layers drift in and out, ultimately rising to the introduction of perfectly tempered dub bass. “Western Wolf” turns up the tempo and energy with sharp percussive accents and subdued pads. The introduction of distorted bass slaps and arpeggiated synths start to steer the piece into stronger dancefloor territory when a breakout of melodic chords shifts the mood to lighter ground, showcasing a selection that sails through multiple moods. The Dub version of “Western Wolf” strips out the more overt melodic elements in favor of a slowly building track perfect for threading through abstract house and techno sets. The project ends with “Swangert,” the not so typical B-side. In this track, the duo explores parts unknown outside the confines of traditional dance music with a highly swung and constructively complex slow burn. Phased leads and short percussive bass accents flower this song, keeping the momentum solid until the end.
Look for more from this dynamic duo in months and years to come, including a follow-up remix EP featuring some very exciting artists.
Richard Hardcastle (All Out War) – “Heavy EP! Western Wolf Dub hits hard. Swangert is a real groover. Yeah!”
Jamie Kidd (BYC Music) – “Nicely produced. Western Wolf is lovely.”
Nick Warren (Hope Recordings) – “Circling The Crown is very cool.”
Black Mighty Wax (Irma Records) – “A nice evolution of electronic dance.”
Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) – “Excellent release. Love it!”
DJ Firefly (Couch Dancing) – “Fantastic vibes from these 2 amazing producers.”
5volts (Social Isolation) – “Gorgeous sounds! KiloWatts has that special ability to create a sense of wonder through his music. This is no exception.”
Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.