Few sounds get me more ramped up than that skittery “PICNIC WOMEN” sample that pops up in every song the Japanese footwork creator makes. Doesn’t matter what comes before or after (though that also tends to be good) – when I hear those four syllables, I get excited. Seiho played a Picnic Women song at his set at SonarSound and when that call signal came on, the crowd (and, uh, especially me) went nuts.
Welp, dude’s back with a new trio of songs, the I Can See EP, and those tracks include his trademark voice saying his name, so I’m already a happy clam. Opener “I Can See” begs the question “can a footwork track be TOO busy,” with the answer being a resounding yes…the main vocal sample seems awkward against the pace, and Picnic Women tries to fit too many elements into this when he should have focused on making the main hook sink in a bit deeper. Far better is the following track “H.A.R.D.,” which goes about things a bit more bare bones and features one of the most thumping beats Picnic Women has ever laid down. The best, though, is closer “No No No,” which is classic Picnic Women – boogie-ready electronics wilding out around a chipmunked vocal sample, the whole thing sounding deliriously fun, drunk before even getting to the party. Listen below, or get it here.