Bleep

Acute German selector DJ Koze executes a true DJ clinic in honour of the 50th instalment of the evergreen DJ Kicks mix and compilation series. A lot has changed in the years since they started back in 1995 but DJ Kicks’ quality control rarely lets up. Koze’s mix is an eclectic selection with its grounding in leftfield hip-hop and downtempo, reflecting the artist’s early days as part of alternative hip-hop group Fischmob and his eccentric (and often overlooked) work as Adolf Noise. Opening inclusions from Homeboy Sandman, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib and an interesting BoC remix of cLOUDDEAD cover the artist’s hip-hop affinities, before moving through pieces from MNDSGN, The Two Bears and even William Shatner. Moving into the final third, Koze effortlessly slips into a triptych of plush house refinery from the likes of Frank & Tony, Ostgut Ton’s Marcel Fengler and Portable before the credits finally roll on the lullaby gloss of The Gentle People’s ‘Superstar’. Koze’s idiosyncratic style is writ large across the album, often eschewing conventional mixes for spoken word interludes and starkly contrasting tracks to surprisingly good effect. As well as being a fun and harmonious listen, you’re bound to find a few new tracks and artists (as is always the way with DJ Kicks comps). If you’re new to the series it’s worth delving into the back catalogue, which is a veritable who’s who of leftfield music.