William Kouam Djoko - Man Like Me EP - Leftroom - LEFT040

The Leftroom Imprint Returns This June With man Like Me, By William Kouam Djoko, Backed With A Remix From House Veteran Matthew Herbert.

Dutch producer William Kouam Djoko has been steadily building a highly praised reputation over the past few years, with original work and remixes for the likes of Rush Hour, OFF, Carwash, and Area Remote.

The release kicks off with the original mix of the title track, ‘Man Like Me’, seeing Djoko delve deep into contemporary deep house, employing bright chord progressions, simple yet effective drum programming, and whispering vocal licks. The latter stages introduce jazzy melodies and high strings adding musicality to the record. Up next is Matthew Herbert’s rework of ‘Man Like Me’, Herbert puts his unique spin on the original number, with a profound depth instilled in the production through hooky low-end bass, swirling background tones and subtle automation touches. The record slowly blooms to a focal point where the groove is stripped back and dubbed-out delays build on the atmosphere.

Entering the B-Side of the release we have ‘Mystic Niger’, showing a darker side to Djoko’s productions with acidic bass hits, hypnotic vocal lines, and heady shuffling drums. William shows his musical capabilities throughout the track, with seemingly improvised, jazzy resonant synths easing in and out sporadically, while the boomy sub-bass, carries the weight. Lastly, closing the release is ‘Africaine Autumn’, a dusty, low-slung workout featuring off-kilter drums, warbling bass and sampled brass hits, giving off hip-hop meets deep house aesthetic, and showing a further uniqueness to Djoko’s style.