No one chops breaks as beautifully as Coco Bryce. No one. The same goes for his use of samples. What the Dutch DJ and producer delivers on his latest release surpasses even his own standards. According to Discogs, I Eleni — a two-track record — falls under the categories of Skweee and Rembetiko. The former refers to stripped-down instrumentals built around catchy melodies; the latter, to a Greek musical style rooted in Ottoman traditions and their subcultural offshoots. It’s no surprise, then, that the first listen might evoke memories of Shantel and his Bucovina Club Orkestar, which once introduced Greek-Ottoman sounds to Western audiences.
Here, though — it’s safe to say — nothing was played live. Which brings us back to the core of Coco Bryce’s brilliance: his immaculate ear for samples and the precision with which he arranges them. The title track remains sketch-like despite its hook, its rough edges and dry drumming giving it a sense of completeness. And as we’ve known since Burial, pitched-up vocals can carry deep emotion even when the track leans more towards instrumental hip-hop than diaspora stylings.
»Alaniara« recalls the skeletal beat of Lata Ramasar’s »The Greatest Name That Lived«, which now feels almost like a prototype for the Skweee aesthetic. Its infectious hook works entirely without vocals; later, metallic cowbells — the same kind that once powered »Tokyo Drift« — crash in with swagger. Two tracks — far too cool for mere head-nodding.
I Eleni
