A legendary name, Filip Kaczmarek has continued to innovate and capture the imagination of the underground dance music fraternity with his Kobana production soubriquet. Evergreen and ever-impressive, his work for Proton Music over a decade and half-century of production credits saw a career highlight in 2014's full-length album, "The Riddle". 2015's "Freefall" and 2016's "Boyhood" EPs continued the flow of original music as the Polish artist now returns with his "Light Flooding" EP. The title track showcases a glorious array of hypnotic textures and sound design wrapped around a hefty beat and staccato bassline. Building through a rising progression of pads and white noise effects, the second half erupts into a pulsating wave of sounds that reintroduces melodic elements and subtly cadenced guitar samples to create a driving finale. The partner track sees the smoother deep house vibe of "Focus" evolve through grooved bass pattern, ticking hats and deep kick. Simultaneously, an LFO'd synth rips through the mid-range in smooth synchrony as rich pads add depth. Hitting its stride in the second half a repetitive vocal cut once again features heavily in the dynamic denouement as the track roll forward apace.

James Monro's contribution to Proton Music has seen a blossoming relationship, resulting in a plethora of high-calibre original material. 2013 and 2015's "Fonik" and "Nectar" EPs paved the way for the full-length "In The Ether" album to follow in 2017, while 2019 marked a new chapter in Monro's portfolio as the first in a new EP series saw "Sanctuary, Vol. 1" hit stores with five sparkling original tracks. With Volume 2 set to follow, James Monro returns to Proton to showcase his remix skills with a rip-roaring interpretation of "Light Flooding" that bludgeons a path forward with chest-reverberating bassline and metronomic percussive drive. Imaginatively making use of Kobana's original components, familiar sounds and effects make their mark while a swathe of original material from the James Monro studio peppers the production, not least in a mesmeric new bassline and sumptuous melodic motif that are heard in the second half after a wave of low-end drama at the breakdown.

After a clutch of releases on Particles, not least in October 2020's "End of an Era" EP that showcased a pair of original tracks plus remixes from Doyeq and about : river, Davide Ferrario now makes his Proton Music debut. Remixes of Rudy and LADS have already seen the rising Italian star reinterpret Proton Music artists as he now appears on the flagship imprint with a typically smooth and elegant offering that reinterprets "Focus" with progressive house flair. Cleverly building exquisite new melodic layers into his remix, a beautifully evocative piano piece graces the breakdown before the vocal cuts so prominent in Kobana's original, make their presence felt alongside a swathe of new chord progressions and richly textured pads. Fragments of the piano refrain swirl into the second half with ease to create a dynamic and hugely impressive debut from Davide Ferrario.

A pair of new tracks from Kobana see bright "Light Flooding" into Proton Music, accompanied by remixes from James Monro and Davide Ferrario.

Directed by Jay Epoch
AandR by James Warren
Mastered by Cid Inc., Grant Collins
Design by Ben Mautner
Text by James Warren