Itoa - Oh No EP

Exit Records

£16.38

Cat No: EXIT099
Format: 12" Vinyl
Release Date: 09 Dec 2022
Genre: Drum & Bass / Bass

a1. Itoa - Wet Brain
a2. Itoa - We Want
b1. Itoa - Oh No ft. なかむらみなみ (Extended Mix)
b2. Itoa - Fonda U

After two stunning releases on Exit Records in 2018 and 2020, 2022 marks Itoa’s third offering to dBridge’s esteemed catalogue.

With his ‘Oh No’ EP, the London artist follows hypnotic loops into a treasure trove of 160 and bass bangers that are sure to keep their cool even as they set dancefloors on fire.

From the slouchy, wall-melting fuzz of ‘We Want’, to the breakneck claustrophobia of Girlboss Microplastix, the release keeps the body at its core: in Itoa’s words, “trying to make music that makes me want to move when surrounded by uncertainty and possible collapse.” Fierce, but subtle: funky, and still ice cold.

For the title track, Itoa incorporates spicy vocal grit from Japanese vocalist Nakamura Minami / なかむらみなみ, a rapper with affiliations to iconic Tokyo-based imprint Trekkie Trax. ‘Oh No’ takes jacking acid to new levels, unleashing an infectious 303 workout not just for the feet, but the shoulders too. Go ahead and whip your hair to this one—then take a sweat break before ‘Fonda U’ continues to tear up the tracklist with crisp wubs and a drumbeat that just won’t quit.

On the flip, ‘Girlboss Microplastix’ and ‘Catch Eyes’ hit a perfect combo of neurofunk hypnosis and raise-yer-gunfingaz fuel. Who said a 303 couldn’t tag team a reese bass… Jump-up, footwork, bassline and braindance all make their cameos here and the results are delicious—fine dining for the UK heads.