IL COLTELLO – Let It Pass EP (2026)

The vocal is the first thing that stands out on “Let It Pass”. It sits against a restless, garage-leaning rhythm, with melodic layers opening up around it as the track develops. There is plenty happening, but the arrangement never feels crowded. The drums, melodies and vocal are given space to do their work.

Released on 13 November 2026, Let It Pass is a six-track EP from IL COLTELLO, the electronic project of Gothenburg producer Michael Hellquist. UK garage, breakbeat and deep house all figure in its musical direction, but the title track is a good reminder that the relationship between those sounds matters more than the labels themselves.

Listen: IL COLTELLO – Let It Pass

Watch the official release on YouTube

The groove and the melody

What makes the title track interesting is the balance between movement and feeling. Its rhythmic pull comes from the broken-beat patterns, while the bass and melodic phrases give the vocal something substantial to sit against. The track does not need a dramatic drop to hold your attention. The way the parts enter, recede and make room for one another is enough.

There is an emotional quality here that may appeal to listeners who enjoy the more reflective side of Bicep, although that is a listening comparison, not an influence Hellquist has claimed. His stated reference points sit closer to the sample-driven electronic music of The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, Massive Attack and Daft Punk. You can hear the attraction of that approach in how the rhythm and melodic material are brought together, rather than treated as separate elements.

In an October interview with The Interviewist, Hellquist described his early idea for the project as imagining Fatboy Slim making a soundtrack to a sequel to American Gangster. It is an unusual starting point, but it says more about his interest in texture, sampling and atmosphere than a list of genre tags would.

A return after 25 years

IL COLTELLO isn’t a new producer arriving out of nowhere. As Red Mode, Michael Hellquist released music in 2001, then stepped away from putting records out as work, family life and DJ commitments took priority. Music remained part of his life, but around 25 years passed between that early release and this new chapter.

The route back was hardly conventional. When the pandemic interrupted his catering business, Hellquist found room to make music in the kitchen, turning part of it into a studio and even using the walk-in refrigerator as a makeshift vocal booth. He returned to his old computer, studied synthesis, harmony and production, and gradually began working with a new set of tools.

What makes the comeback worth mentioning isn’t simply the length of the gap. Rather than trying to recreate the music he made in 2001, Hellquist has brought his interest in samples and club rhythms into a different period of electronic music. On Let It Pass, that means a sound built around broken beats, melody and vocals, with enough patience in the arrangement to let each part breathe.

There is also an important detail behind the vocals. In the same interview, Hellquist said he tried several vocal sources before using Suno to find material that worked for him, going through many generations in the process. That does not establish every step involved in the finished recording, but it is relevant to a track in which the vocal is so central. What we hear in the finished arrangement is the result of decisions about which sounds belong together, where the vocal sits, and how much room it is given.

Let It Pass

Hellquist says the title reflects the idea that not every question needs an answer; sometimes it is better to move forward. The music suits that thought without turning it into an oversized message. The rhythm keeps moving, the melodies carry a quieter mood, and the vocal gives the track its centre.

The biographical details make IL COLTELLO an interesting artist to discover. They are not the reason to listen. On the strength of “Let It Pass”, it is the combination of rhythm, vocals and careful arrangement that makes this release worth your time.