DJ MaboOku [CDM] - "Remo"

By releasing "Remo," Dj MaboOku has ended a three-week long personal drought. The keyword in the preceding sentence is "personal" because Casa de Mãe has steadily released records this summer. In July alone, Finicox, LiloCox, and Edyfox were been associated with freshly released solo and collaborative sounds. Yet no semblance of a schedule is inferred. CDM has a tendency for releasing songs in clusters, but their source is entirely random. A single artist showcase is just as likely as a compilation of the entire crew.

Regardless, the sudden presence of a new MaboOku song is cause for a celebration; hearing his voice shout "DJ MaboookU!" at the end the four-second introduction to "Remo" the impetus. Immediately, however, the track stands in contrast to the producer's previous work. Recent releases have featured more adventurous melodic exploration than anticipated from CDM's rhythmic wonder, but MaboOku continually prefers typical sounds. The theme of this new song, however, is progress more so than continuity.

 Rather than a melodica, accordion, or xylophone, "Remo" makes frugal use of a synthesizer. Among single note bursts, the melody very briefly rises and drops over a beat that churns forward with the determination of a locomotive. Deceivingly routine, the rhythm remains MaboOku's main attraction. Bearing the producer's signature for multiple percussive elements, "Remo" does not skimp imagination. As on "Ula Ula" the drumkits accepts a secondary role along side a faint tambourine. Woodblocks bear the brunt of rhythmic responsibility, all the while assisting with the track's melody. What is less than ordinary is the slower pace - alongside the significantly come concise length - heard on "Remo". The bass is heavy but "Remo" is not kuduro; the sound is more akin to a tarraxo unconstrained by formality. This beat feels free, its only alteration occurring just past the 35 second mark. Even more space is cleared by the cymbals. Given the track's terse nature, it begins to conclude soon after this second portion in established with an unanticipated show of humor. At 58 seconds the sounds begins to cut in and out, leaving listeners with a false impression. Has the internet connection has failed? Alas, MaboOku plays on his audience's expectations. Polish is taken for granted as the producer's make-shift "Shave and a Haircut," is capped off with the appropriate two-bits. In the end "Remo" may serve as nothing more than a sketch, yet a message is clearly expressed: new styles are yet to be uncovered.

- John Noggle