Kohla- Flux (EP Review) International Woman's Day #2

Words by Craig Carrington-Porter

Its getting closer to the middle of the week and we’re bringing you another fantastic release to spotlight the hard working woman in the music industry.

Time has been flying this year and I’ve caught myself running around, stressed out and constantly saying to folk “where the fuck is the time going?” But its brings me so much joy to bring the new EP Flux by Kohla to your attention. It is easily one of the best EP’s I’ve listened to this year.

Released back on the 20th of February we still feel its necessary to talk about it. Distributed through the indie record label Last Night From Glasgow, its a real sweet spot of electronic dance music with sweet vocals and incredible production value.

The EP opens with ’T O U C H’ which is almost a revitalised 90’s track. There is a reminiscence of Moby with heavy synth keys, digitally generated claps and a thick bass beat which will cause you to abandon the task at hand and pop along.

Pulling the bow back and launching the arrow straight into the second track, ‘_Gorgeous' I had to go back and really listen to this song a few times. Really fucking good. Lead by angelic vocals that wavers between notes singing, “nobody needs it, nobody needs it more than I could.” With a higher tone of notes from the piano, entering into the second phrasing it starts to build some steam and then picks up into the chorus. And I wish I had a bigger depository (got this word confused with suppository but anyway) of adjectives to describe how much I love this song. Listening to ‘_Gorgeous’ for the first time I zoned out, sitting on my couch with headphones on, staring at the walls as the opening credits of House M.D (mind that show?) fluttered through my mind and then I had it. “Massive Attack” I shout into the echo’s of my flat.

‘Pxrxdise,' explicit and sitting around that cushy 3 minute mark (as all the songs are.) It again, leaves me impressed especially in the chorus singing, “in this paradise, paradise” with little, altered vocal samples that are dropped in giving the entire track that extra bit of curve ball as it is launched into your direction.

The outro to this listening experience ends on ’S/he’ and its a real example of how far music has come. Especially with the work force of female writers, musicians and performers creating some of the best content out there at the moment. Its very current, this whole EP is, but ’S/he’ feels like they let loose with the sampling and supplements of quirky little tricks. I could easily live inside this EP for the next few months.

Lets conclude, its very good.

The artwork has been painted by Kohla herself and is oil on canvas. Flux is a very well put together EP and through the fact that it has caught the attention of other writing platforms, radio stations and the solid heavy weight that is the BBC, its gravitas is that it is modern. Its the experience of going back to other artists such as Moby, Madonna, Massive Attack (Fucking triple M brigade over here), Grimes, James Blake and Kate Bush- really drawing from all these influences and creating a solid piece of work.

I wasn’t high or anything when I wrote this, I just really enjoyed it.

As promised, we still have other reviews/interviews to come this week from female artists and those who work to promote more equality for woman in the music industry.