Polish wax label Astropical has put out a handful of solid house EPs since their inception in late 2015. Their discography includes a trio of solo EPs from Boryn, Astro Buhloone and the man of the hour, Marcin Krupa, as well as a tasty five track V/A. The label's ethos appears consistent; cranking out heady deep house jams with clever sample work and boasting a roster showcasing rising production talent in Poland.
For their fifth release, Marcin steps back up to the plate for his second solo EP on the imprint, and second full release in general. It's a much brighter effort in mood than the label's previous release - Boryn's The Same EP - and expands upon the whimsical sample palettes employed in Marcin's "Spa House" (the clear favorite from his first record). So, let's see what this four-tracker's got!
Recorded In The Kitchen starts off hot with the jovial "Pora Wstawać". Playful brass stabs and a splendid flute sample gallivant around between a warm clap, a steady bassline and exquisite percussion. The track receives extra Polish flair via some voicemail snips as well. On the same side of the plastic is "Orłowo". Man, this is a fucking bittersweet tune. Krupa goes back to the woodwinds for this one; a beautiful lead swimming through the arrangement without tiring at all. The crackly percussion impresses here as well. After about three minutes, a lovely symphonic breakdown eases the beat before the kick primes us for one last go at that tasty lead.
The B-side continues the above formula with "Questions". Quirky drums open up the arrangement with another Polish talking sample sprinkled on before a warm, rocking bassline enters the fray. Again, offbeat brass and woodwind sounds adorn the track. Finally, the loopy "One Per Customer" closes out the affair. The tempo and energy level is raised here, though Marcin sticks to the aesthetic of the other three tracks. A nutty brass chop is looped and teased above a big bassline for a french-style effect. The breakdown on this one might be my favorite; introducing a super-fun little reveal of the full clip with awesomely filtered vocals, though it's gone as quick as it came.
The EP is an enjoyable and useful record. Each track has interesting energy and application for a DJ set and Marcin definitely has a knack for digging out sweet and quirky samples. There's definitely some predictability in the set, as all four tracks pull from the same eccentric palette and structures. However, the production and vibe are strong enough to overlook the redundancies.
The summery, picture-sleeve enclosed vinyl is available for purchase at most of your favorite online retailers.
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