Kingdom – That Mystic EP review

From one of the most vital and consistently jaw-dropping labels on the planet right now comes this brand spanking new set of futuristic funky bangers from NYC’s Kingdom. Already rightly lauded for incredible releases like “Mind Reader”, his Fabric promo mix and remix work for Egyptrixx amongst others, he brings an R&B obsession and a distinctly warped Stateside twist to Night Slugs’ trademark sound.

Title track “That Mystic” is an absolute monster, working in ominous one-note drones, Baltimore kicks and claps, stacked Miami Bass hats and an incredible dread-melody that’s augmented with sinister childlike vocal samples. Kingdom’s arrangement skills absolutely shine through, keeping you hooked and on your toes for the entire tune. “Bust Broke” on the other hand comes over a little lighter, with Roska-esque percussion floating in and out of the mix with some canny LFO filtering added at points to give it amazing dynamism. Floaty female vocals get brought in and filtered up beautifully half way through for a truly standout break. “Fogs” sports a punchy half-step rhythm that’s peppered with classic 808 snares, while “Pang” busts out some simply huge descending bass notes that’ll rattle the walls of even the most sturdy clubs. The EP rounds off with the chopped R&B funk of “Seven Chirp”, which spins a series of acoustic guitar samples into a truly weird place, all the while backed up by yet another perfectly sequenced beat. Yet another essential release from Night Slugs and yet more genius from Kingdom. Oliver Keens