Florist - Phenomena

Label: All Caps

Glaswegian outpost All Caps are the latest to draw on the current obsession with Vancouver’s house scene on the debut single from graphic artist and DJ Flørist. After a two-year gestation on Soundcloud these tunes have been begging to be committed to wax, and now they sound just as good as they did on first listen.

Flørist’s style is not as warm and upbeat as many of his contemporaries, but this difference works to his advantage on Phenomena. He comes straight out of the gate with Final Bounce, a hybrid of aquatic dub-techno chords and stripped, intricate drum patterns. The hook is a soulful choir that rises over the track’s second half, never quite breaking the surface, eerie and seductive as a half-remembered dream. Marine Drive is just as indebted to overcast skies but more colourful, with new age flourishes and lapping chords over a subdued breakbeat.

Both cuts come with a more restrained alternate version (we’re getting pretty damned restrained by this point). Neo Image flips Final Bounce into a serene glide, adding a gentle break and a warm synth wash, while Flørist gives his own Internal Dub for Marine Drive, drowning the drums in tape hiss and letting those jangling chords float free. Flørist’s debut is supremely accomplished with its misty aesthetic, a serotonin-depleted glow angled for the best after-parties.

8.5/10