FKOFd059 by Darkai
‘2023 marks FKOF Records’ 10th year as an imprint, and we’re pretty proud of our track record over the last decade. We’ve seen some of 140bpm’s rising stars – Chokez, Argo, Causa, Kodama, Ourman, 11th Hour, WZ to name a few – announce their talents to the genre and then go on to establish themselves as world-recognised talent. Not to rest (too much) on our laurels, but we think the artist behind FKOFd059’s EP might just follow that trajectory…
‘If you’ve caught the FKOF Sessions show on SWU FM (RIP) or Subtle Radio throughout 2022, you’ll have heard a track played on an almost month basis. For those that know their classical music, you’ll maybe have recognised a nifty flip of Allegri's ‘Miserere’ – taking the goosebump-inducing material down a darker path. The genius behind that tune, ‘Deus’, is Matt Darkai. At this point, we can’t not give uncle N-Type a shout out, because it was through Wheel & Deal and Darkai’s ‘Immortal’ EP we discovered Matt’s talents. We talked tunes at the start of this year, Matt sent us some dubs, and the rest is history.
‘FKOFd059 kicks off with ‘Ox’ (suitably visualised on the EP cover by the wonderful Lal Yetki), all cavernous atmospherics and sub pressure. The second inclusion is the aforementioned ‘Deus’, which you’ll either have heard already or you’ll very quickly understand why it’s one of this year’s tunes for us. Next up we have the suitably-named ‘Danger’, all wobbly synths and main-room 2am madness. It’s a lot. Last, but definitely not least, we end with ‘Swamps’. It settles things down into a deeper groove, all growls and crisp percussion. The second drop’s a lot, as well. To round things out, because it’s the end of the year and we like celebrating, we’ve also included a FKOF Free Download alongside the EP – Matt’s ‘Loud Voices’ bootleg, reworking another classic with his signature brooding twist.
‘We think Matt Darkai’s a perfect addition to the FKOF Records family and sound – beats, bass and space through and through. He’s released on a bunch of decent labels to date, so we’re delighted to welcome him to ours, and we know this track record will continue. Watch this space.’
Tracklist
| 1. | Darkai - Ox | 4:21 |
| 2. | Darkai - Deus | 4:27 |
| 3. | Darkai - Danger | 4:43 |
| 4. | Darkai - Swamps | 4:47 |
| 5. | Darkai - Loud Voices [FKOFd059 Free Download] | 4:40 |
Credits
All tracks written and produced by M. Hill
