romaal kultan: none more rollers vol. 3
Francisco Espregueira
London-based producer Ollie Malin is back in the driver's seat. Under his widely respected alias Romaal Kultan, he has built a serious reputation of drifting between genres with ease. Over the years, his eclectic fusions of broken beat, hip-hop, and house have graced labels like YAM, Tiff's Joints, and his own imprint, Personal Discs. Now, he steps up to the plate for None More Records to deliver None More Rollers Vol. 3. While his past catalog fiercely resists easy categorization, this three-track EP strips things back to a highly focused, clear-cut palette. Driven strictly by atmospheric breakbeat pressure, it is music built for finding serious momentum inside repetition. The track titles are deliberately utilitarian, reflecting a recent period of rapid, unfiltered creative expansion. Malin has described a recent artistic renaissance pulling him between softness and severity, and this project beautifully captures the harder edge of that spectrum.
Beneath the heavy drums, there is a quiet geographical hum that grounds the record. Having been raised across multiple countries, Malin’s sense of belonging remains slightly unresolved. London acts as his primary fixation, yet it still feels like a "near-home" that keeps him at arm's length. That lingering feeling of existing just outside of fixed scenes perfectly mirrors the EP's contemplative emotional tone. There is also a distinct, heavy weight attached to this release. None More Rollers Vol. 3 will likely stand as the very last chapter under the Romaal Kultan moniker. As Malin navigates a period of personal reinvention, his future sounds will probably emerge under fresh aliases. If this is truly the end of the road for the project, it serves as a remarkably precise and fitting punctuation mark. Available on vinyl.