Offworld’s catalogue of kaleidoscopic, soundscape beats reads like a who’s-who of this decade’s foremost champions of the post-Autonomic minimal: label boss LM1, Method One, Oscillist, and Seathasky to name a few being regular contributors as champions of  off-centre liquid dissection. And as has been the case for the last few years it’s the label’s twenty-third release that showcases yet another talented artist to emerge from Eastern Europe, the undisputed ‘microfunk capital of the world’: Keosz. The Incomer EP features two solo-tracks, an upbeat interlude featuring fellow national A-Negative and a stunner of a collaboration with another highly talented individual by the name of Minor Rain.

The EP sets its own bar almost impossibly high with the opening Minor Rain collaboration ‘Let Me Be’. One single track really shouldn’t be as compelling, studied or richly atmospheric as this: sweeping female vocals, floating synths, fluctuating subs and peculiar microfunk-influenced percussion like the 80s throwback, minimal Nightrider rework that never was. Minor Rain’s influence is on full display here, as the track showcases his flourishing prowess in classical ambience with an almost indifferent majesty, in one fell swoop perhaps reaching beyond anything from the uniform excellence that was his debut LP. Moving into similiarly themed half-time territory, ‘Mountain Level’ is an exercise in dominating retro-futuristic synths, less overpowering that the intro with a sustained calm after the storm simplicity. Taking a drastic step away from the minimally executed EP as a whole, the finely-arranged yet somewhat garish ‘Incomer’ featuring A-Negative seems unable to find the balance it attempts to strike between club-etiquette and ease of access; not an under-produced track by any stretch though. ‘Nightfall’ ends the release on a mellow note: its clean, bubbling sub-bass revels in its refrain from excess as clicking ‘future-amens’ and “go” vocal snippets are carefully interwoven throughout.

I had a very brief yet very genuine wave of elation listening to this at half four on a Monday morning, something I certainly won’t be taking lightly considering the fleeting nature of consumption within the sphere of contemporary musical sensibilities that I feel myself being edged towards after my recent spree of shamefully abandoned radio shows and endless twenty-second Soundcloud clips. The Incomer EP is a worthy recipient of my none too healthy financial resources, and for that I direct rapturous applause at Keosz and friends.

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