Pentagraph

Phennnel Koliander - Pentagraph (EP Review)

A central figure behind Japan's premier beat program Table Beats and the live DJ for Daichi Yamamoto, Phennnel Koliander returns with Pentagraph, a five-track EP that captures his latest evolution as a producer. Drawing from years steeped in the lineage of J Dilla and Flying Lotus, this project feels like a recalibration-where familiar textures meet bold, future-facing beat architecture.

Across its concise runtime, Pentagraph distills Koliander's tireless creativity, meticulous layering, and uncanny ear for contrast and harmony. Samples from across the sonic spectrum are interwoven with a precision that never feels clinical-rather, it breathes, shifts, and surprises at every turn. From abstract rhythm shifts to emotionally grounded loops, his sound design pushes hip-hop's beat-making tradition into uncharted dimensions.

Far from background music, this EP demands active listening. Its tension, its movement, and its unexpected pivots reward repeat listens, offering something new with each play. With Pentagraph, Phennnel Koliander doesn't just reaffirm his place in the vanguard of experimental hip-hop-he redraws the boundaries of the form itself.