- K15 seems like a cool guy—based on his social media accounts, at least. His Twitter profile describes his location as "the back of the room" (more specifically, he's based in London). On SoundCloud, he calls himself "a fan of records, chords and the occasional vocal stab." This dry charisma comes through in his house tracks, which makes him a perfect fit for Kyle Hall's Wild Oats label, who just released his second record, Insecurities. Subtle, dramatic and bumpin' when it wants to be, this double 12-inch is a lovely introduction to a promising new artist.
Insecurities is somehow both epic and relaxed—the intros are sparse, the outros stretch into ambient codas, and the breakdowns make you forget you're waiting for something. On "The Story Of Her Life," a diva keeps us entertained with little more than pads and claps backing her bluesy lament ("businesses closing, and times are rough/ the bill-collector's tryin' to call me up/ that's the story of my life"). By the time the kick finally bursts in, you've already been hooked for nearly four minutes.
The title track pulls off a similar trick, but without the lead vocal to rely on—dramatic pads and a teasing bassline are enough to carry this one. "GWHR" repurposes the keys from "Gypsy Woman," one of house music's most familiar melodies, but here it sounds misty and Balearic, with a Latin rhythm and sun-kissed hand percussion. "Gratitude" and "Yellow," the only two tracks short enough to share a side, are less hypnotic, but still as groovy and elegantly raw as the rest of this fantastic EP.
TracklistA1 The Story Of HER Life
B1 GWRH
C1 Insecurities
D1 Gratitude
D2 Yellow