Dekmantel Podcast 069 - Kowton

UK DJ and producer Kowton admits that he is obsessed with sound. For the past five years he has been locked away in Bristol with the likes of Peverelist and Asusu working on perfecting the most hi fidelity, highly functional bass and techno that he can. It has lead him to release on influential labels like Hessle Audio, Livity Sound and Idle Hands, and last month his debut album proved his mission has been worth it: "Utility" features nine tracks of crisp, atmospheric techno that brood with urban menace. Physical, broken and punchy, the beats are designed simply to make you move your body, and they sure do that. The podcast he has served up for us (which features a number of unreleased and forthcoming tracks on Ilian Tape, Not So Much and Trilogy Tapes) marries that same sense of stripped back functionalism with clean and abstract sound design, heavy bass and high pressure beats. There is a real sense of late night mischief and subtle rave energy to it that makes the whole thing feel hugely coherent from start to finish. Modern, left of centre and rather UK centric, the Kowton sound sure is serious, but it is also hugely seductive.