Yamaguchi’s quartet of steamy deep house cuts overflow with warm Rhodes chords, hand-claps, and bass and drum grooves so funky they should be outlawed. It’s telling that he hosts his own club night in Tokyo because the voice samples and percussion that ornament his material definitely strengthens its “live” club feel. The EP begins with “Pepe,” a soul-funk house jam replete with a driving bass throb, charging “live” drumming, and wild electric guitar playing that’ll remind listeners of a certain age of Sly & The Family Stone. With its low-riding bass, honking sax line, and house pulse, “City Soul Vibrations” couldn’t be any more perfectly titled, and it’s next to impossible to remain seated once the synth-heavy funk of “Washing My Heart” kicks into gear. City Soul EP finds Kez YM distilling the timeless essence of house music into four cuts that come and go far too quickly. And last but not least, his tracks have already been played by a cat named Moodymann. Well folks if that’s not a promising start for a newbie ;)