Just when you think you've heard every conceivable style come out of the Dundee Scene, along comes someone throwing a new curve ball into the arena. This time, it's an electronic curve ball from a guy working under the name of Kfox. As to which side of the electronic fence, we're talking dance - but we're talking dance with distinct flavours of '80's Industrial in there too, as particularly evidenced by the opening track, "Gasworks". Short and muscular, it romps along on a bed of technoid stomp courtesy of programmed percussive beats and sequencers, while a heavily phased vocal intones the single lines that make up the "song", the vocals almost acting as extra instrument as you are carried along on a river of throbbing bass synths and industrial dance rhythms, It's hypnotic, powerful, lightly evil and absolutely mesmerising. All of which makes the relative tranquility of "Ebb And Flow" come as something of a surprise. The title couldn't be more apt as waves of synth lines are richly textured with a delicate piano melody weaving in and out while the main rhythmic content comes from a straight forward mid-paced but solid mix of electronic percussive and electro-synth. It slowly builds but never breaks loose and creates its own atmopsphere that draws you in and keeps you there. "Supersonic Bird Of Prey" seems to mix many of the ideas on the previous two tracks and, while the vocal this time is more American accented, the lyrics as sparse as before, the mix of flowing string synths, solid percussive backdrops, stuttering space synths and assorted electronic funk rhythms and layers, really works, although the vocal is a tad too Weighted towards an American bent. Finally, we come to "Open Ocean V2" which begins on a rich layer of flowing lush synths before a higher register lead synth enters and whizzes all over the mix as deeply driven percussive beats clatter before it all builds to a climax, stops briefly and then changes direction into a barnstorming slice of techno-romp, solid, heavyweight electronic drum beats marching forward, surrounded by a whispering army of synths and fx. Returning to that mix of early rave and '80's industrial, it pounds along and, surprisingly for such a simple make-up, delivers the goods superbly as you decide whether to leap about the place, just listen, or both, since it works a treat whatever you do. But just as you've made your mind up, it changes shape once more and, one a river of string synths, twists and turns before reverting back to where it began.
As a debut EP, it's straight forward, does what it says on the tin and produces a wide variety of synth textures, pseudo-melodies and electro-percussive rhythms, all kept simple but with an atmosphere that veers from optimistic to menacing and brooding. But it is just a beginning - a long strange trip may await....