Mount Kimbie: Cold Spring Fault Less Youth

On their 2010 debut Crooks & Lovers, British beat-making duo Mount Kimbie revealed a relative disdain for any obvious narrative cohesion. Glitch, dubstep and just about every other genre on the UK electronic landscape made an appearance, yet they succeeded in making a surprisingly intimate record that was set to soundtrack daily commutes and late-night drinking sessions on both sides of the Atlantic.
For the follow-up MK have moved on again, complementing their trademark electronics and basslines with acoustic instrumentation. Their goal: to make a record that would translate more easily to the live setting. Our verdict: Kai Campos and Dom Maker make the transition with panache.
MK have also added a new and potentially risky vocal dimension to their work. Up and coming British artist King Krule features twice, chewing and spitting out heartfelt lines on ‘You Took Your Time’ and ‘Meter, Pale, Tone’. Krule’s attitudinal drawl does sound invasive at first, but after a number of spins, it starts to make perfect sense.
Maker and Campos contribute vocals themselves, most notably on lead single ‘Made To Stray’, where their poppier tones flirt with screeching horns and Plastikman-like beats to superb effect. ‘Break Well’, meanwhile, sees discordant synths and out of time arpeggios build without even a sniff of percussion, before a danceable drum-pattern takes over, leaving you mesmerised.
Mount Kimbie may incorporate more conventional instrumentation on Cold Spring Fault Less Youth – but they remain as unique and enthralling a proposition as ever.

Key Track: 'Break Well'