Gavin Valentine - K4rma B1tch

Hear The Track Here

As you know I can be quite acerbic when faced with certain kinds of music; soppy ballads, string driven nightmares and - well - any music genre starting with T. Trance and techno have long been my own particular bete noirs, with dance overall coming a close third. Most of the reason is because I find - in general - these areas to be incredibly formulaic, dreivative. Heard one, you heard them all. It counts as a pleasant day when I find a track in these genres that I can get behind and the last Gavin Valentine track I reviewed - Sometimes I Want To Dance (October 2007) - to be a fine example of what the genre can deliver given a bit of thought.

I have no idea why it should be a year between Gavin Valentine tracks, because this seem to have been released at the same time as Sometimes. Oh well. What K4rma B1tch isn't is techno or even trance for that matter so already things are on the up. It's actually a rather lovely peice of string driven electronica, with a slightly jazzy overtone. Now you know I also have an aversion to string-y things and Gavin just manages to skate his in under the wire of my ire because it is essential to the whole feel of the track.

It starts as chillout but along the way gains momentum like you wouldn't beleive so that by the time you are a minute or so in, you would probably be hooked. More especially if you liked Orchestral sounds as part of your electronica diet but I reckon almost anybody could pass a pleasant few minutes with this track. Its also as clear as a bell, the production quality evident in every note. Composed entirely in Reason so Gavin says and it shows once again what a great peice of software it can be in the right pair of hands. Hand on heart, I can't say I'll be hanging on to this because it really isn't my thing but as a peice of class electronica this is right up there.

Highly Recommended Electronica