meowsn: catmousegame2
Francisco Espregueira
The free-jazz turned into scracthy and wavy frequencies of Meowsn’ were introduced to us before. We talked about The Stages EP (2020), on Flat White Records, and vibed with CATMOUSEGAME (2021), released via Running Out Of Steam. Now we take our time to appreciate the wonderful weirdness in CATMOUSEGAME2, again on ROOS. Hailing from St. Petersburg, Meowsn’ showcases his trademark sound - a blend of choppy hip hop, sleazy hip-house and nostalgic jazz radiance.
You can almost feel the dusty smell of an underground speakeasy on the EP’s opener “DrunkCat” - a bouncing cut of NYC influenced hip hop that inspires images of large concrete buildings and greetings on the street. The subterranean spirit of hip hop is kept alive on “Wistleman”, an improvised jazz moment that is simple and effective, before heads begin bopping with a little more conviction on the low-swing and vibrant soul of “Ganksta”. The A-side is completed by “Block Drama”, a subdued and experimental cut that expresses the energy of a lowly-lit after hours joint, before the dub-peppered vibes and let-go-for-a-walk basslines of “Cashflow” invite you back to the dancefloor. “Ladies You Know” maintains that same scratch-influenced nostalgia that just feels oh so warm, while “Winter Swapping” rounds off CATMOUSEGAME2 as the cold winds whip up a storm and snowflakes slowly invade the windows. And we’re wrapped up warm and cosy inside with phat beats and friends. Delicious and available on vinyl, via Running Out Of Steam.