Review: II by Knightlife

Released in the summer of 2009 on Cutters - the second EP from Australian nu disco / house producer Knightlife - aptly titled II - is, although relatively simple, an incredible release filled with glittery instrumentation, lots of groove, bright, crisp production and above all - it's one of the most fun, entertaining releases to come out of the blog-era of MySpace led disco and filter house.

II opens with Crusader - described as a pulsating, synth-disco jam by Cutters' head honchos Cut Copy - they couldn't be more correct. Crusader is a delightful nu disco track which wouldn't sound out of place in a smoky, Manhattan based club of the 70s - or at a summer beach party with Louis La Roche headlining. It's a dazzling (and slightly glitzy) club weapon with some fantastic synth-work, great hooks and enough funk to let any audience get down. What's not to love?

The flip side couldn't be more different. Discotirso is a Cerrone-led filter house weapon with extremely tight, punchy production, expert sampling techniques and thumping beats - making it a perfect fit for modern clubs, raucous parties and your DJ sets at home. This has always been my personal favourite on II - it's ridiculously groovy, at times bad-ass and honestly? It's one of my favourite examples of the French touch sound ever - even though an Australian made it!

Aside from the two original cuts on this EP, II closes with a remix from Delta Night of All Systems - the original track initially featured on Knightlife's first self-titled EP - released in 2007. This remix is stuffed with the bright instrumentation that listeners have come to expect through II's opener Crusader - there's a killer bassline, extremely funky percussion / drumwork, and some fantastic breakdowns and piano-led sections, and yet - it feels extremely quirky, giving listeners a fresh way to end out such an awesome EP.

In short, although relatively underground - II is an absolute classic from start to finish - go and give it a spin!

II on Bandcamp

As always - keep enjoying your stay at the discotheque.

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