VARIOUS / DJ KOZE – DJ Kicks: DJ Koze (Unmixed) [Repress] – 2LP – Vinyl [APR 28]

2LP – Black Vinyl 2023 Repress.

DJ Koze with his friendly and sometimes slightly melancholic take on the world is one of the greatest auteurs of club music today, and one of the few internationally active DJs who dares to make music that has relevance beyond the dance floor.

During the 70-minute journey on his DJ Kicks the 50th edition Kosi Kos manages to establish a uniform color even though genres alternate in a way that is rarely heard on a mix CD: the stripped down hip hop of Madlib, brutalist Berghain techno, timeless songwriting, floating indie-pop and outlier numbers that oscillate between absurdity and melancholy. Koze’s disregard for the stylistic yoke presents him with an immense challenge. Hence, almost all the tracks are more or less edited, and one is fully rhymed (Session Victim: Hyuwee).

Koze rambles on here himself: “I didn’t want to kick around sophisticated knowledge, but rather try and weave together some good gems that would make sense to anyone, even people who aren’t necessarily music nerds”. But this is blabbing that you can count on, also because he approaches the term “mix” from a different angle and doesn’t even try to make something fit that doesn’t fit: “During the day, I don’t need to hear anything that’s mixed on the beat. I put the focus on making sure that it works harmoniously the idea is more to create the impression of a radio show, like people such as John Peel did so uniquely. There is a giant cosmos of music and it runs through my filter”.

Tracklist:

A1. DJ Koze I Havent Been Everywhere But Its On My List (DJ-Kicks Exclusive)
A2. Dimlite Cant Get Used To Those ?
A3. cLOUDDEAD Dead Dogs Two (Remix Boards Of Canada)
A4. Strong Arm Steady Best Of Times
A5. Homeboy Sandman Holiday
A6. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib Shame

B1. Mndsgn Camelblues
B2. Broadcast Tears In The Typing Pool
B3. Daniel Lanois Carla
B4. Hi-Tek & The 2 Bears Modern Hi Tek Family Bears (Kosi Mashup)
B5. William Shatner It Hasnt Happened Yet

C1. Marker Starling In Stride
C2. Session Victim Hyuwee
C3. Frank & Tony Feat. Gry Bring The Sun

D1. Marcel Fengler Jaz
D2. Portable Feat. Lcio Surrender
D3. The Gentle People Superstar