Kiki's Kaiku

Joakim Ijas, better known as Kiki is a Finnish wunderkind and producer extrordinaire. His work for B-Pitch Control is nearly legendary and his ability to generate electronic beat explorations that level dance floors as well as expand the mind is simply stellar. For his latest work, Kaiku, Finnish for echo, Kiki has taken bursts of creativity and turned them into something diverse, sparse, and very good.

According to the creator, Kaikucame to him in waves. "When I worked on the album, there were situations when I had a very clear picture of what I wanted without knowing for sure how to realize it, so I had to take a short break. Each time this happened I found a solution after a few days that would solve my dilemma." It's those waves and breaks that lead to the varied tempos, ideas, and arrangements that are scattered throughout, Kaiku.

This is a record that doesn't stand still for very long. Whether ambient atmospheric stuff, downbeat chilled out grooves, or minimal techno bombs, Kaiku is packed to the rafters with tunes that are creative and divergent of one another but come together in a cohesive manner that keeps your mind and feet gripped. Kiki is maturing into an amazing producer and his use of vocals, minimal beats, and lush, nearly symphonic, arrangements throughout Kaikuclearly sets him apart. "After The Storm," serves as a perfect example of his ability to layer lush sounds and beats on top of each other to create a feeling of renewal and coolness without becoming just another bog-standard chill out track; the use of sleigh-bells says it all.

Kiki's Kaikuis an eclectic ride through the electronic spectrum that continues B-Pitch Control's run of ridiculously essential albusm. If you like chill, minimal techno, ambient soundscapes, or just plain old fashioned escapism then you should really find a copy of Kaiku, turn off the lights, tune in and drop out.