[@YSTekdinner12] is back with ‘Tekdinner Time Vol.2’

YS Tekdinner kicks off 2020 with awaited sequel project Tekdinner Time Vol.2.

Tekdinner Time Vol.2 is a project of two halves with the sound of an artist still trying to find their sound. YS Tekdinner is someone that has been bubbling for a while. Having his initial breakthrough as part of a duo with his brother Master Peace, the pair really made a name for themselves as live performers. Having graced our stage as a pair at GUAP Party 5, I can first-hand vouch that Tekdinner and his brother know how to work a crowd and bring the right energy.

The first half of Tekdinner Time Vol.2 feels measured and relatively slow-paced in comparison to the second half. On the whole, it makes for interesting listening, but it may be a project you have to take your time with to digest. If you take the project in the way we have become accustomed too, which is extremely quickly, you will miss the chance to take in just how experimental the project is. On my own first listen skimming through I was thrown off a couple of times and almost wrote the project off. It wasn’t until I listened all the way through a few times that I gained an appreciation for the project, so don’t be quick to judge.

The first half is the part I struggled most with, it’s pacing feels off somehow, the building up seems too slow with the exception of ‘Stepped Out’. That track would have felt better placed in the latter half of Tekdinner Time Vol.2 in my opinion. It’s really not until ‘Menace’ that I feel Tekdinner really hits his stride properly. It almost feels as if those first songs are for a separate project that have been combined with the latter half. The songs up to ‘Menace’ aren’t bad by any means but they aren’t the highlights of Tekdinner Time Vol.2, in my opinion of course.

The second half now, that was what brought it back as a project. It’s a shame the second half wasn’t released on its own as from ‘Menace’ onwards Tekdinner is on form and flexing. Through to the final track, there isn’t a single miss, each song could individually be a hit and having them back to back with good cohesion make the project feel satisfying.

The highlights of Tekdinner Time Vol.2 are the moments where I feel like Tekdinner taps into what he does best. When he’s traversing sounds we don’t expect but attacking it with aggressive and pronounced delivery there’s nothing better. Tracks like ‘Instant’ and ‘FYI’ are examples of this and are also the two tracks I feel are the strongest on the project. All in all it is a solid project, but it definitely shows there’s still room for Tekdinner to develop and refine his craft.