Kevin Yost

Soulful usually refers to R&B and music with strong, sentimental vocals. One Starry Night is house and it’s mostly instrumental, but it’s deep with all of those s-word qualities. They’re there in Kevin Yost’s distinctive approach to colourful atmospheres, improvised solos and futuristic disco grooves. However, there is something about the way Yost performs this signature mix throughout the album. It’s something soulful, stylish and even poetic. It’s what Victor Shklovsky identifies as a principle of de-familiarisation — the technical magic of playing with a set of elements on each track and composing them in ways that are different each time. Sure, you could argue that this is what all artists do, but in terms of house music, there’s more of that here than the usual fare. The songs on One Starry Night are dazzling and seductive, often progressing like a soundtrack for dreaming or making love, and like the acts of both, it’s frustrating when they end.