Kosh’s latest Back On Track marks his debut EP for the Craigie Knowes label. Spanning four tracks, all of them intertwine Detroit techno influences, and acid lines with emotive machine-driven textures. The EP feels like a statement, not just about respect for techno’s roots, but for forging a sound firmly in the present.
The title cut “Back on Track” opens with acid squelches that steadily build. An ongoing journey that doesn’t rely solely on cheap drops, it instead gradually accumulates tension and energy until the crescendo arrives. It’s a track that walks the line between dancefloor urgency and detailed sound-design. Following up is “Breaksit,” and here, Kosh gives us a breather with more space and more emotional breathing room. With IDM-inflected breakbeats, subtler layering, and atmosphere, the track is less about pounding the floor and more about carving out emotional contour.
“Ridge Racer” brings the bounce, shifts in rhythm, and octave changes. If “Breaksit” is reflective, then “Ridge Racer” is kinetically designed to reenergize and keep the momentum high in a DJ set. “Digital Dilemma” closes out the EP with more muscular techno punches. Full of drive, it channels both Detroit’s mechanistic soul and those atmospheric, almost cinematic touches.
One of the strongest aspects is how Kosh honors techno’s lineage (especially Detroit’s history) without falling into mere pastiche. The acid lines, the machine-funk, the emotional thrust… they all feel alive, not nostalgic. The EP is well sequenced. The flow between tracks gives tension and release, breathing spaces, then more intensity. Kosh shows he knows how to shape emotion over time, not just deliver peaks.
There’s clarity to the production, even when textures are dense. The acid bits don’t overwhelm; the breakdowns retain detail. It feels polished without being over-sterile.
Overall, “Back On Track” is a strong EP. It shows Kosh is capable of balancing emotional resonance with dancefloor energy, of respecting tradition without being bound by it. For listeners who enjoy techno with visceral intensity, acid textures, and a sense of careful build-up, this EP delivers. On the Craigie Knowes imprint, it establishes Kosh as someone to watch.
-Peter Stimson
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