Sam Goku - East Dimensional Riddims (2021)

This is Sam Goku's stunning debut album, titled East Dimensional Riddims. The 11 track record is a journey into his hugely characterful club sound complete with ambient and subtle use of instruments from his Chinese heritage.

Sam Goku - born Robin Wang - was born in Düsseldorf, yet his upbringing was Chinese for the most part. It is the contrasting influences of those two cultural backgrounds that play out in his music and lend it a truly unique character. The album is a fine fusion of East and West, house and techno, power and emotion that really showcases the unique production talents of Sam Goku.

East Dimensional Riddims opens with a gorgeous introduction. The bird calls and lush harmonies of 'The World We Enter' set the mood before 'Wedding Dance' rides on a joyous, pounding house groove and still manages to be deeply emotive with its heavenly melodies. 'Earlier Forms' is as weird as it is wonderful. 'Fisher's Theme' is another house cut that drives forward while also being filled with subtle sonic details, environmental sounds and hypnotic wind instruments. The album takes deep breaths through the beatless passages of 'Before I Knew' and 'Boarding Lights', however it is the blend between immersive soundscapes and standout club tracks like 'Fusing Bubbles', 'Flieger 2010' and the organic techno groove of 'Far Far Fantastic' that make East Dimensional Riddims a remarkable debut LP.

Following up on the EPs Tanggu, Every Step and Paradise Drum, this new album is the sound of an artist evolving, maturing and finding his own sound. It's a cohesive work that is as emotional as it is physical and thought provoking.