Scene and Heard – CCXXXXVIII : Love is All Around – Kei Kohara ft. Claudia (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Kei Kohara has spent the last few years building a solid reputation for himself as a not only a creator of highly infections house music from trance to mainstream to progressive but as a sought after re-mixer of other peoples music. It goes without saying that he knows what makes a good EDM tune and proof, if any more proof were needed comes with latest release, Love Is All Around. Here he blends pop aware dance music with main room clubland cool, it sparkles and grooves is built with a sense of the euphoric and displays all of the hall marks of a sound track to an endless summer…even though it is not yet spring.

The balance comes with Claudia’s sultry and subdued vocals, whereas the music is looking to hit sonic crescendos, her understated and effortlessly cool delivery is the perfect thing to keep things grounded and this creates a wonderful dynamic which wanders between the slow burning and controlled and the infectious party vibe.

Not only is this the perfect party tune, it also shows that even in the excessive world of dance music you don’t have to throw everything into the mix all at once, that control is key and the subtle vocal sounds which hold things back make the musical highs, when they are finally released, even higher. Very slick indeed.