Available on: Pictures Music digital

At the risk of making undesired comparisons, the influence of DJs Shadow and Krush seems to loom large in Chairman Kato’s music. Gigantic kick drums and swirling cinematic textures abound. Where does the staying power of that circa-2000 instrumental hip-hop sound come from?

Even though Kato is based in London, Wildfire plays like a history of Californian beats, with Dilla’s LA years and the current sound surrounding Flying Lotus also playing a big part here. It’s not a new idea that when you strip hip-hop of its vocals, the melodies and beats have to step up. The overture of ‘Fighting Fires’ certainly exemplifies this, with drawn out textures and echoing vocal snippets setting a dark mood. When the beat comes in, it’s thick and loose, with reversed snares and round kick drums like a Boards of Canada classic. Kato sets himself apart from the standard reference points though, with glitched out melodies and hyper-active rhythms on ‘No Coincidence’, one of the strongest tracks on this EP.

The bubbling synths of ‘Streets of Rage’ very clearly have their inspiration in the popular video game of the same name, that 8-bit sound is tempered by dirty percussion and a deliberate pace. Kato then throws an elbow on the clattering, smashing snare workout of closing track ‘Thudd’, amping up the energy level and blasting out a bed of digital noise and rhythmic cacophony. Wildfire‘s not mind-blowing, but there’s clearly a moody, contemplative mind at work here, and I hope to hear how he distills his influences and thoughts down further on future releases.

Keith Pishnery