Preview: Kowton – Jam03

Although the launch of Teeth and Desto’s imprint Signal Life was received with universal acclaim and generated a huge amount of hype, the label has kept pretty tight-lipped about any upcoming releases and future plans. Their SoundCloud only has previews of Vibrate / Remember, and their website serves more to establish an aesthetic – albeit an enviably cool one – than to share news. Luckily we don’t need to rely on an official label announcement to get a taste of what’s coming next. A few days ago, hotly tipped Bristol producer Kowton posted a preview clip of a new track called “Jam03” with a comment confirming its forthcoming release on Signal Life. This is a deep track – that’s deep with a capital D and at least five Es – that seems restrained at first, but this perceived restraint belies its potency. Razor-sharp claps punctuate the track’s swampy atmosphere with a malicious intent, distorted by layers of murky, undulating rhythmic sounds. If, like us, you’re into the shadowy, paranoid stylings of his recent Never Liked Dancing 12″ on Idle Hands, you need to give this one a listen right away.

Stream: Kowton – Jam03 (Signal Life) 

Equally as exciting is the news that “Jam03” will be backed with a remix from none other than Desto himself. The remix first appeared about a month ago in a Tes La Rok radio show but, as of yet, isn’t available for preview aside from a YouTube rip of the show. Desto takes full artistic liberty with the term “remix,” re-fashioning the track as a 160 bpm bruiser that smoothly navigates through trap territory without falling victim to cliches of the now-ubiquitous style. We wish we knew more about this release, but we can say for certain that you’ll be missing out if you don’t keep your eye on this one.


Stream: Kowton – Jam03 (Desto Remix) (Signal Life)

Sam Billetdeaux