Russia’s Forty Cats deliver a 4-track delight filled with epic progressive tech…

Forty Cats has made a significant mark in the global progressive house scene. She achieved her first milestone with the “Highway” debut EP on Lane 8’s This Never Happened label in 2019. Two years later, Forty Cats shifted her sound direction dramatically, releasing tracks on labels from Sudbeat to Soundgarden.

Today, Forty Cats is one of the most unique talents on the circuit. With one foot always on the dance floor, she infuses her productions with a surreal touch that sets them apart. Here, she makes her Balance debut with four tech-prog cuts which highlight her trademark quirk.

‘Recovering’ rolls through dense, warm bass and crackling percussive FX – it leans more towards tech than prog. Listeners are taken on a journey through a lush forest where light struggles to penetrate. Midway through, a sound like a striking match lights up the sky like a flare, casting a blaze over every element. A vocal brings hope before the drum section drops heavily with the weight of a bag of bricks. This is perfect cerebral music tailored for probing dance floors.

With its stuttering bass, ‘4:30’ locks you into a welcoming groove. Via scattered loops, the rhythm maintains a sense of mystery, each note clear and resonant. Clap effects blend with an enthusiastic wheezing sound, creating a tech foundation perfect for the ambient synths layering it. During the breakdown, dark, dominating bass stabs are introduced — and upon the drop, the loops take center stage, revealing a fresh groove with each beat. Total tech business.

If any track sounded like its name, it would be ‘Kooks.‘ A fat, elastic bottom end is punctuated at the end of each phrase by a wrecking ball kick, creating a slightly vertigo-inducing effect. Weirdly, the wild energy is heightened by the subtle, soft percussive hats. Later, a searing acid line burns through like fire, accompanied by a poignant Slavic spoken sample. It all exudes an absurd energy, like if Salvador Dali made prog.

‘Memories’ is a vintage outing reminiscent of early 2000s prog, where samples and melodies reigned supreme. A prominent bongo drum and kick form the foundation, while a reflective vocal contemplates consciousness. The low, rumbling bass evokes a distant foghorn drifting across the ocean, enveloping the track like a fence. Within this framework, an arpeggiated, filtered synth dances joyfully. A percussive loop filled with grunts and vocalisations adds further rhythm after the breakdown to complete a satisfying journey.