Chinese artist Noah Li, aka Knopha, came to most folks attention with his 2018 E.P., Nothing Nil, which at the time – pre-repress – was highly sought after. Since then he’s produced just a couple of releases, the last one a 7, split with Yu Su. Noah, however, now has a 5-song set out with Mood Hut. The first one is called Fizz, and that’s exactly what it does. Its treated sounds bristling with energy. Deep, rich, with glitched edges, and tantalising twists. Entrancing, seductive, echoes. A sleek, smooth, deconstructed soul. Some people might label it “ambient”, but to be honest, it ain’t even that laidback. Instead, busy with bottom end boom and stealthy beats. There’s something of Matthewdavid’s mycelial music about it. Microdosed, but out dancing, not meditating. On The Light – illuminated by Fishdoll’s torch song – a syncopated jazz loop forms the focus. Brushed drums spinning within its bass heavy blasts. Mizu Le Gout buzzes boisterously, a bit post-UKG, post D&B, but it also oozes a sleek sophistication, with its chopped up chanteuse, cool chords, and crazy cowbell. Like the late night LFO growl of Burial’s bleak ghost of rave reborn somewhere posh. Certainly not Croydon. Somewhere exclusive and extremely high end. There are two tracks named Corundrum. The shorter, is sexy, the sonic equivalent of getting lit on expensive champagne. The longer is fixed to a more straight forward house 4 / 4. The instrumentation, sharp pieces of piano and a single plucked string melody, is messed with. Disassembled and reassembled. Rearranged, juxtaposed. Noah teasing with glimpses of what was once the original tune. Dynamically darting this way and then that. 

Knopha’s Kwong is out now on Mood Hut.