Lokai Transition
The buzzing, ticking terrain plotted by the Austrian experimental duo of Florian Kmet and Stefan […]
The buzzing, ticking terrain plotted by the Austrian experimental duo of Florian Kmet and Stefan Németh has assumed a more fleshed-out shape with Transition, their second LP following 2005’s 7 Million. In the four-year interim, they’ve made their warm, minimal aesthetic feel slightly more threatening. Subtle rhythmic touches—shaker, snare, bells—blow an ominous gust behind tracks alternately desolate (“Bruit”) and oddly unsettling (what sounds like a creaky wood galleon on “Roads”). “Volver” stands out as a Stars of the Lid-like highlight; a Fender Rhodes piano gently ties together a classical guitar arpeggio, gauzy accordion, and light drum taps, bringing about a dusty, somber moment of beauty. Transition should not be overlooked—Lokai should easily sate any drone enthusiast’s palate.