Yak is a big deal on the bass music scene, having delivered a brace of slammers on Berlin's excellent Version imprint and beyond. 'Balmora Blue' finds him doing more of the same but in a fashion that should see it cross over to open-minded DJs of all stripes. Cantering along at a palatable 120bpm, the beats are precise and crisp but also extremely warm and welcoming. The bass is deep as fuck, but there is no harshness here. Essentially, this will be super-easy to program in a more traditional house set and sound equally at home in more experimental runnings.

After a couple of minutes, some beautifully sound-designed, pitch-shifting synths join the party, taking the track in a more leftfield direction. Still, it's all anchored by that rock-solid percussive rhythm section. Some bright washes and watery blooping keep things spicy while not cluttering or jumbling proceedings. It's all perfectly poised and arranged, a forward-thinking piece of music that will appeal to the sort of people who'd never usually look twice at a Version release. Massive kudos to Yak here!

'Balmora Blue / Swex' is out now on Version