Fouk- With Lasers EP Review
The artwork for the 'With Lasers' EP
The funky Dutch duo Fouk have been providing us with deep groovy tunes since their first E.P. on Heist Recordings, 'Kill Frenzy'. Fouk’s tracks have a confident originality that are always easy to listen to, which has resulted in many of their tracks being overlooked. Their debut E.P. 'Kill Frenzy' left me in awe, yet releases like 'Gruff and Whiskey Ginger' were underwhelming. After listening to their second E.P. on Heist Recordings, it feels like they’ve finally hit the sweet spot. On this record, they’ve twisted their original sound and brought an air of catchiness that will get you bopping in your bedroom chair.
Clean guitar bass lines are met with drum kit percussion, Fouk’s new release feels like it was recorded using live instruments. The arpeggiating and acidy 303 action in F3000,brings a breath of fresh air to the record; unlike anything I’ve heard before from Fouk. 'With Lasers' is slightly reminiscent of Soundstream’s ‘Starstrike’, with its tension-building bass and spacey sounds. It also offers a fantastic reverby, LPF guitar which adds extra warmth. Like ‘Starstrike’ it’s an unstoppable groove.
'See you on the other side' (cleverly engrained on the B side of the E.P.) is another great track. The track itself is a bit more housey, but teases the funk with a dose of Fender Rhodes and some funky kit percussion. The only let down on the E.P. for me was 'Mount Liberation Unlimited’s mix of the track. This track bleeds experimentation gone too far and is certainly not easy listening.
Overall, I was very impressed with Fouk E.P. I must admit I was a sceptical listener based on Fouk’s recent releases, but this time they absolutely smashed it. Heist Recordings continues to impress.
