Mount Kimbie "Crooks & Lovers"

Getting away from Hip Hop and the town for a moment, I’ve been playing this debut full length from Mount Kimbie heavily as of late. Crooks & Lovers is a dope record that I hear influences from 2 of my favorite records of the last half decade, Bibio’s Ambivilance Avenue and Burial’s Untrue.

The duo constructs a wide range of soundscapes for you to wrap your mind around. They chop things to bits and make you nod your head to the tiniest of snippets of funky swing. “Before I Move Off” starts with a dope chopped guitar sample and sparse drums before bringing an A Capella vocal chop that adds a whole new dimension to the depth of the song. Before it is all over the guitar disappears and the vocals play with the drums brilliantly.



Elsewhere they play with a more techno feel, but what I truly dig about them is their constant ability to keep the tracks moving forward, progressing to something new. Nothing ever stays the same. Elements come into play, and fade out. Perhaps they remain in the background at a lower decibel level. New samples are triggered and new heights are reached.

The album is short, but it keeps you coming back. It can play beautifully in order, the closing track is amazing. Featuring just a repeating drum hit and some guitar plucks along with random mumbled vocals - it’s totally haunting. Overall these guys deliver a record that doesn’t get old and is much more versatile than most full lengths that are released in the genre tag of “electronic.”