Illkinski is an East London based duo that is clearly dominated by a desire to explore creative beats. On "Let's Zoom In", Illkinski walk their music down a path of electronic percussive work that's propelled by experimentation, at times informed by "world" instrumentation. At other times they combine fragments of different styles to create something entirely new. One thing that remains consistent throughout Let's Zoom In is a devotion to diversity.

1. Let's Zoom In
2. For Reid
3. Tails Both Sides
4. Otiose
5. Moohawk
6. The Poacher
7. Stained Gloves
8. Plaii
9. Macine
10. After Hours

Adam Perry and Arash Lowni are the brains behind Illkinski and Let's Zoom In is their debut. It begins with the title track that takes sounds from a combination of genres. It uses a sieve to extract the meaningful elements of a rave act and adds it to the ingredients of trip hop. "For Reid" is one of the more solid works here and it definitely calls for an up-close investigation. A kicked-back drum-n-bass melody persists as each subsequent layer contributes creativity.

"Otiose" is also worth mentioning as it breathes new life into some old world sounds. This track maintains a quick beat while picking up musical instruments from the Indian continent. Other tracks like "Stained Gloves" ring with similarities to Future Sound of London with its sometimes free-flowing mixture of beats and chirps that give the impression it's some kind of unknown binary language, or produces images of an unexplored digital landscape. "After Hours" is something of an enigma for the album, and its dusty, triphop breaks, make no secret as to why it comes last. It's the departure track for the release and departs as such with an acoustic guitar and subtle electronic sounds that do nothing if they don't leave you curious about where Illkinski's sound might be going in the future.

One thing is for sure, Let's Zoom In will keep you guessing. Each track seems to step aside to provide room as each new sound moves forward. It never feels contrived or overly complicated. That's one of the reasons I find myself returning to the wealth of information found here on Let's Zoom In.

~ Chris Lindsey (http://www.slacklineradio.com)

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