Melodica Electronica | This release came as a surprise for me, a sweet one though. Koen Park is the IDM moniker of Ian Hawgood, a guy featured a lot at Phlow Mag and whose name you probably heard already. While I like his solo works better, Koen Park's tiny "84' 85'" EP is an instant hit. Semi-nostalgic Electronica with strong melodies and crisp production.
"84' 85'" by Koen Park was released in two limited 3"-CDR editions over at October Man Recordings (first green than gold, this version is burgundy I guess). I was happy to get hold of the first edition and been listening to the six tracks a lot since then.
In a way, it's nothing special. Fans of IDM will recognize the heavy Boards of Canada- and early Autechre-influences straightaway. Throw in crunchy Hip Hop beats, fumes of field-recordings plus melancholy melodies and you've got it. But the one thing you can't imitate is musical craftsmanship. And as much as "84' 85'" isn't pushing genre borders, it is a wonderful, inspiring piece of music. The EP runs only 18 minutes. But maybe this briefness has a hand in brilliance. Warm, catchy, dense. Awesome when a re-release makes sense.
MP3 Electronica Music Download
Download: Koen Park - "84' 85'" (ZIP)
Artist-Website: koenmusic.com
Release: Koen Park - "84' 85'"
Netlabel: acroplane.org