"I love drums," producer Mo Kolours once said in a 2013 interview. "I just like hitting stuff that makes a noise." That’s no grand revelation if you’ve followed him so far: Since the release of his debut EP, 2011’s Drum Talking, the British/Mauritian composer has mixed hip-hop, soul and Afro-Caribbean dub with the Sega music of his homeland, resulting in hypnotic, tribal-infused dance grooves. Mo’s music is an acquired taste; beneath the percussive clatter is a rich, minimalistic approach that grows more contagious as it plays.
For Mo’s new EP, How I (Rhythm Love Affair), he follows last year’s self-titled LP by sampling old R&B records, blending obscure clips into his own jaunty African-themed melodies. He ditches the lo-fi aesthetic of his previous work for a clean mix that maximizes his use of crackling vinyl ("I Find My Eyes") and woodwind instruments ("On My Way", "Sumerian Mother"). In some ways, the new gloss is welcomed: Mo’s music is understated enough, so it’s tough to vouch for great tracks like "Mini Culcha" and "Mike Black" when you can barely hear them. That’s part of Mo’s charm, though: He recedes into his music, his words never louder than a mutter as the beat unfolds. He unites disparate tones the same way Paul White does—by taking the most random acts of everyday life—a chant, a mouth click—and creating something clever.
There aren’t enough bright moments on How I, which breezes by far too quickly without much impact. Even the bright spots feel underdeveloped and none of the songs ever go anywhere. Take the Deniece Williams-sampled "How I" as an example: Here, Mo loops a lyric from "Silly" ("How I want you"/ "How I love you") and supplants it with layered drums and shakers. The concept works initially, except Mo never builds upon it; instead, he leans on the idea until it expires a short time later. The same goes for "Sega Chuckle", which has the best drum work of all the instrumentals, but Mo spoils it with shrieking vocal clips.
Mo knows how to make great EPs. 2012's Banana Wine and 2013's Tusk Dance trekked the same spacious path as Drum Talking, but they seemed to stick. I can revisit songs like "Bomptious" and "Biddies" and feel the same good feelings as when they released. Without a strong anchor, How I finds Mo Kolours adrift, still searching for the right formula to catapult his sound.
