Alex Burkat - 285 Kent EP - Third Ear

All the tracks on Alex Burkat's latest release, the ep 285 Kent are references to, homages to, and an elegy for various NY clubs and clubbing experiences. Alex Burkat, resident of Brooklyn NYC, lands on (in?) Third Ear with an ep that further develops the sound he has been imagining since he was inspired to write Shower Scene, his to-date, most well-known track. Shower Scene, which was subsequently released on the Mr Saturday Night label, was conceived while returning from a Mr Saturday Night party. Clearly, the clubbing experience, in particular in New York is still an inspiration to Alex Burkat's music. 285 Kent was a well-known DIY warehouse venue that hosted Punk, House and Techno parties in Brooklyn that closed only recently in January 2014. Sullivan Rom in the West Village of NY is a well-known House party venue. The BQE is the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The track evokes for Alex, people speeding to and/or from NY parties. House Of Yes, the name of another famous DIY New York venue that closed in the Summer of 2013 was where Mister Saturday Night threw their Saturday night parties. All four tracks are distinctive. Alex Burkat has his sound now. It may not be the only sound he ever creates, and given his propensity for evocation his catalogue will probably be prodigious and varied. For now, he is honing in on his subject; the rapidly evolving club scene based around Brooklyn in New York. There is soul in these tracks and a refreshing lack of artifice. For all the wide-eyed imagination and wide-screen soundscapes (huge bass and shimmering sonics out on the perimeters), there is no sentimentality; just a forward-looking gaze that takes in the past and the future with clarity and honesty.