Bravura sets the stage for the return of Kid Who with ‘Mirage Sequence’, his first extended player since 2011’s outing on Pizzico Nobel. Signaling a slight change in direction from the Bravura co- founder and South London resident, the EP was realised after months of experimentation with analogue tape and decrepit digital synths, taking heavy chunks of vintage Detroit and Chicago and moulding them into expressive yet deployable dance floor-friendly shapes, undoubtedly contemporary but with a knowing nod to late 80s / early 90s Virgo Four, UR and Ron Trent.
Lead track “Mirage Sequence” is something of a statement of intent, with rising pads complimented by primitive drum machine sounds and patterns; a layer of fine dust adding depth and warmth while a funk-futuristic bass groove flows underneath. “Stay The Course” is the EP’s ‘heads-down’ moment, with sharp, cutting percussion, an ominous synth hook that evokes a Detroit chase scene circa-2150; like killer drones emitting benign sound waves to lull fugitives into acquiescence against a dystopian post-industrial backdrop. “Memory Map” on the other hand sounds like the twilight hours after the chase, innocuous sine waves building into a frenzy of activity over heavy 909 tom-lead percussion before a moment of calm lucidity mid-track, sheets of cool, sub-zero synths forming briefly before melting away with the returning bass groove. The EP’s final track “Legionnaire” holds nothing back, launching at full speed into an atmospheric and frenzied soundscape, robotic castanets presaging a gargantuan bassline, sounding like a dozen double basses played by androids in effortless unison, accompanied by cybernetic bird-like 303 acid tweets and squeaks.