Force of Nature III
Japanese duo DJ Kent and KZA offers a buffet sampler of styles and eras in […]
Japanese duo DJ Kent and KZA offers a buffet sampler of styles and eras in their third LP installment as Force of Nature. III doesn’t feel very modern: These tunes have a distinct early-’90s-esque big-club flair that feels largely repetitive. Still, these flaws don’t seem that serious amidst the happy, party vibe that the tracks put forward. III somehow makes cheesy, strident synth (“Traderoute” and “Undefeated”) and old-school echo effects (“To the Brain”) sound inviting rather than annoying. Some cuts channel straight-up ’80s vibes: The synth-laden “Supernova,” “Blackmoon,” and “Kontinents” sound like they were yanked from a planetarium laser light show from that era, as if to ask, what’s a little cheddar on the dancefloor now and then?