KNLV - Inbetween [Running Back]

If Katsuhiro Otomo's **Akira** was a utopia instead of its opposite, this EP could be its potential soundtrack. Using classic house elements as a platform (pianos, anyone?), **Nick Nikolov's** imagination as a producer in his new project **NKLV** is too vivid to stick to well-worn paths.

The sound design and obsessive attention to detail typical of IDM and ambient (**Clusters**) connect with the brazen, boogie-filled approach of French Touch, where micro-sampling manifestos must live up to the strangest moments of signature sounds like those of **Basement Jaxx** or the musical side of **KiNK** (**Heartbeat**). Not far from the initial approach of his contemporaries, the Bulgarian's style is emotionally charged, playful, and powerful.

For example, **Speak to Me** and **No More** address their respective themes with precision, while the EP's title track, **Inbetween**, is a seductive serotonin soul. If you're looking for pure and simple euphoria amidst adversity, happiness is just around the corner.