In their first official release (discounting the sweet, whitelabel Casino Edits 2) since their full-length album on Wolf Music, Familiar Circles, London-based duo Casino Times (soundcloud) has teamed up with Swedish imprint Omena for a four track EP. The label, run by Tooli of Local Talk fame, has a sound that could best be characterized as whimsical and airy, with cheerful chord progressions and rare rhythms often decorating their tracks. The Decoded EP sees Casino Times’ pensive, layered electronic sound combining rather well with the label’s aesthetic.
For our premiere, we’ve chosen “Simulation Bamboo”. The B1 track has an 80s electro inspired drum kit being layered with celestial and moody synth riffs and well-arranged strings. Perhaps the track title does a bit of foreshadowing in this case, as the piece contains an interesting combination of electronic and eastern colors. The song is at once both ominous and bright in mood, and could equally be seen soundtracking a roadtrip as much as it could the early AM segment of an emotional warehouse bash.
While its companion on the B-side, “Man Machine Interface”, is a bit more dark and mechanical – as the name would suggest, the A-side – which plays host to the hypnotic “System Transistor” and the wonky “Keyboard Warrior” – is certainly lighter in vibe. The release as a whole is a decidedly successful and intriguing collaboration between one of the most unique imprints on the house scene and an artist with an individually evocative sound.
[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/casino-times-simulation-bamboo”/]
Martín Miguel
