Mike-K - Chaos

Hear The Track Here

Chaos, not an atrribute usually ascribed to Soundclick stalwart and Songplanet DJ Mike Kohlgraf (aka Mike-K). This is the most organised man known to man. Errrr, if you get my drift. He probably irons creases into his jeans. More to the point, musically anyway, he is Mr Smoothiechops personified, as his easy listening, middle-of-the-road tracks (IMHO obviously) will show. There again, there are lots of people who do like the sunny side of the musical street and who can say they are wrong? Even though I have no love for the genre, I have much respect and admiration for the man and his music - I know what goes into it...

Until now. o.migod.

As a harbinger of things to come, Chaos is suprisingly unchaotic in either spirit or tone, for which we all breathe a sigh of relief. Mike K causing chaos would make the sky fall on our heads and we don't want that to happen. It's billed as instrumental electronica which basically means an electronica backdrop with Mike pouring out the lead lines on top. As such it's quite evocative of Santana (but only in the construction and tone of the track), electronica might be a stretch even for ol' Carlos... There are certainly elements of that sound in the track though, the almost incessant, relentless main riff and the leadlines lolling in every direction. It's got some of the same energy too, but that will only come out with repeated plays.

So while it is true, as Mike would have it, that Chaos is a bit of a departure for him, it's not far in actual miles. I know I rag on the guys for his own musical taste (not as a SC Station or a DJ for which he is irreplaceable) but I actually have a soft spot for the ol' softy. Chaos hits that spot, in much the same way as his other tracks do; for its unfussy, right-down-to-business, clean approach. It isn't the sort of track that blows me away, but Mike's often understated work shows that he knows what he's doing. No doubt, I'll be saying much the same and more to him the next time I see him. In the meantime, this is a very decent track with absolutely no chaos whatsoever so you can stop distributing those sick bags now...

Recommended electronica instrumental. (Ed: who wrote 'go Carlos!!' on this review?)