''Once'' is the fifth EP by South Korean DJ and producer

Peggy Gou Kim Min-ji (; born 3 July 1991), known as Peggy Gou ( ; ), is a South Korean DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer based in Berlin, Germany. She has released seven Extended play, EPs on record labels including Ninja Tune and The Vinyl Fact ...

, released on 2 March 2018 through

Ninja Tune Ninja Tune is an independent record label based in London, with a satellite office in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1990 by musicians Matt Black and Jonathan More, known collectively as Coldcut. The label was established as an outlet for Col ...

. It contains three songs, including the single "It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)".

Background

Gou stated that her intent with the EP was to "span different vibes – terrace, big room, morning session", with influences from " electro, African music, early 90s

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and

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

". When speaking on the EP's production, Gou described ''Once'' as "the most fun

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ever had making music".

Critical reception

Philip Sherburne of ''

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'' wrote that "its three tracks mark a significant step forward" and called "It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)" the "standout" on which Gou "oscillates between murmuring and actual singing, and she sounds great". Sherburne noted "Hundres Times" features a "clubbier, heads-down groove" and on "Han Jan", Gou "flips her Motor City instincts into a springy electro jam". Andy Peterson of Contactmusic.com felt that with ''Once'', Gou "demonstrates that with a little imagination you can go around the world in just a few minutes", calling "Hundres Times" "funky, slightly downbeat main mix fare" and highlighting "Han Jan" for its "

post-disco Post-disco is a term and genre to describe an aftermath in popular music history circa 1979–1986, imprecisely beginning with the backlash against disco music in the United States, leading to civil unrest and a riot in Chicago known as the Dis ...

vibe". Tom Beedham of ''

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'' stated that "Gou's is atmospheric if kinetic music, pacing out personal space in grounded sashays, with vocal deliveries that are cool and understated, adding unprecedented rhythmic flows that will fit just as naturally in live sets built mostly on her back catalogue". He called all three tracks "throbbing house cinematically imbued with soft acid lines, techno vigour, and disco swing, all brilliantly buoyant and certifiably fresh". Eugenie Johnson of '' The Skinny'' described the EP as "music for the head as well as the feet, making it as perfect for burying into with headphones as it is for dancing to in the club" and noted that Gou "creates a landscape that's both cerebral and party-ready". Matt Unicomb of ''

Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...

'' opined that the EP is "satisfyingly diverse: hand drums and lullaby melodies mix with cosmic synths and licks of acid" and called "Han Jan" the highlight as, "like the rest of ''Once'', it's the sound of a golden ratio between body and soul".

Track listing

References

{{Peggy Gou 2018 EPs Korean-language EPs 2010s Korean-language albums Ninja Tune EPs Peggy Gou EPs