Roska – This May Take A While EP [Kicks and Snares]

This month sees Roska release his eagerly anticipated This May Take A While EP through his own Kicks and Snares label.

Roska has already been busy this year; giving us a number of releases including the well-received Hyperion EP, released through Tectonic back in January. This time working through his own Kicks & Snares label, the London based DJ and producer gives us five new tracks; four produced by himself and one remix from JD Reid.

Roska starts off proceedings with the funky cut Crawler which wastes little time in kicking in and doesn’t let up for a second afterwards. As well as having the catchiest of beats, this track is ingeniously complimented by an exquisite cherry-on-top: its vocals. These vocals work brilliantly to create the sense that we’re about to hear more (perhaps a few bars from an MC), but this never materialises and the effect is superb. It gives the perfect amount of tantalisation needed to captivate the listener, whilst all the while making you want more.

The EP’s title track This May Take A While is simply a joy to listen to. It boasts an upbeat rhythm and catchy vocals, which are effortlessly paired to give us a real treat of a composition. As if that wasn’t good enough, just for good measure, Roska decides to make the drums much heavier for the track’s its second half and he pulls this off brilliantly.

WIAS seems to embody the spirit of This May Take A While, in the sense that it follows a very similar formula, though it takes a little longer to kick off. Its vocals are uncannily reminiscent of sound effects from a computer game of years gone by (if anyone played Abe’s Oddysee on PS1 you’ll get what I mean) and its overall upbeat tempo and heavy drums make it an instant hit. This one will be a real crowd pleaser.

The EP is rounded off with a remix of the title track given to us by JD Reid, and its fantastic! Four minutes of offbeat, drum-laden perfection. Roska may not forgive me for saying it, but this one may well be better than the original! If there are any low points from this release (and I’m clutching at straws here to be honest), it would be the fact that NDOW didn’t bowl me over. It was more of a safe, filler option, which may have gotten more credit on an EP with less substance, but on a release like this, its mediocrity seems magnified.

With this This May Take A While EP Roska has set the bar at an almighty height, somewhere way up in the clouds. This near perfect release has so much quality coursing through its veins that you have to pinch yourself just to make sure it’s real. From start to finish it captivates, entertains and tantalises, following a distinctive formula to a certain degree, but by no means always sticking to it. Roska seems to have a natural gift to know when to revert from type, as he pulls off each deviation from his formula with stunning effect. The quality of this EP is such that it’s hard to even pick a favourite track; true mastery in my eyes.

Out on March 30th, I can already honestly say this will be one of my releases of the year! Take a listen below and pick up your pre-orders here.

@khonje9

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