KRYSTAL KLEAR Vinyl & CDs

Review: Dublin-born, now Manchester-based, Krystal Klear returns to Running Back with six club tools steeped in nostalgic shimmer and functional bite. Known for his arpeggiated anthems and deep-dive devotion to the dancefloor, this batch hits a familiar sweet spot-melodic, muscular, and tinged with longing. 'Pancake' sets the tone with glassy synths and driving drums, while 'Hammeroid' and 'Detol Samba' veer into tougher, trippier terrain with twitchy percussion and ravey chord stabs. The italo-flavoured 'Offenbach' glows with bittersweet pads, before 'Deathlagg' and 'Celtic Samba' close in more dramatic fashion-euphoric, strange and full of motion. These aren't reinventing the formula, but they don't need to. It's dance music for dancers: unpretentious, dialled-in, and built to last until the lights come on.

Review: The collaboration between Public Possession and Running Back has yielded a nostalgic gem with the release of 'Boli Boli', a track that revives the essence of 80s disco-synth-pop infused with Balkan emotionality. This autumn, Krystal Klear and La Raf present a record that melds cultural nostalgia with contemporary sensibilities. 'Boli Boli' stands as a tribute to the bittersweet and evocative soundscapes of the 80s. The track emerged from a spontaneous session between Krystal Klear and La Raf in London, where the Croatian singer channeled personal experiences of heartbreak into the song's lyrics. La Raf's evocative vocals, paired with Krystal Klear's distinctive production, capture the essence of a bygone era while celebrating the emotional complexity of Balkan self-pity. The production is marked by a seamless integration of La Raf's expressive vocal delivery with Krystal Klear's knack for creating melodies that are both reflective and rhythmically engaging. The result is a track that balances introspection with an infectious danceable quality, offering a unique exploration of grief that is both poignant and celebratory. The release of 'Boli Boli' thus not only revisits the golden age of disco-synth-pop but also enriches it with a distinctive Balkan touch, reflecting the artists' ability to infuse personal and cultural narratives into a universally resonant sound.