Live Review: Tri-Angle Showcase with Balam Acab, oOoOO and Holy Other

Point Ephemère,  Paris – 10 / 02 / 2012

Balam Acab - Big Boy

Tri-Angle Records has charted a meteoric rise over the last year or so; from their beginnings with a few short EPs tentatively (or dismissively) described as ‘Witch House’ to their superb run of releases from late 2010-11, including efforts from White Noise favourites Balam Acab, Holy Other, How to Dress Well and Clam’s Casino. The label embodies a powerful and unique sound; ghostly and emotive, slow and dream-like, and even if you don’t love every release you’re unlikely to hear anything derivative or unoriginal. When I heard they were coming to Point FMR in Paris you can imagine that I bought my tickets straight away, and I wasn’t disappointed.

I’ve discussed before the difficulties of bringing heavily treated Electronic music to the stage; making a performance feel live while ensuring that it still sounds good and that the songs are at least recognisable. This is a tough task to get perfect, and the most important facet is to avoid the cardinal sin of just standing there pressing play on a laptop. These problems were thrown into sharp relief by the supremely lacklustre opening act (o F F Love, who actually sounds okay on record), who danced around embarrassingly to pre-recorded beats. The backing tracks themselves weren’t too bad, but his performance, in which he covered his face and inexplicably shrugged his jacket repeatedly off and back on his left shoulder, had no sense of immediacy or energy; the only live addition being his voice run through a series of different synthesisers. It was all rather ludicrous and not a particularly promising start to the night, but luckily the three following acts served as a comprehensive lesson on how to bring Electronic beats to life perfectly.

Balam Acab - Oh, Why

One of my very favourite artists, Balam Acab, was up first, and put on a fantastic show. The incredibly young-looking Alec Koone has clearly thought hard about how to bring his sounds to a live show and re-structured many of his songs to suit a gig, the most notable change being the introduction of a female vocalist to sing the ghostly samples in his recorded work. It was a great choice, mostly down to the beauty and strength of her voice, which brought a powerful energy to the opening run of Big Boy and See Birds (Sun). His synth-work lost some of its organic edge in being brought to the stage, sounding more treated and electronic, but Koone made this change work to his advantage, turning the aching melancholy of Await into a glittering dance affair with a surprising degree of success. It was a joy to actually be able to hear the lyrics to his tunes, especially when sung by such a spectacularly talented vocalist, but an element of Wander / Wonder’s darkness remained intact, particularly in the intense basslines of Expect which came next. His set was topped off with a mesmerising new song and a beautiful rendition of Oh, Why; one of a handful of songs where Koone added his own expressive voice to the mix. I’ve always thought the most important thing an artist can do in a live set is allow the spectators to lose themselves completely in the sound and forget everything else, and the only disappointment of Balam Acab’s set was how soon it was over. Thirty minutes just didn’t really feel like enough time given that he had top billing for the night.

oOoOO – Burnout Eyess

While waiting for the next act to come on there was the surprising treat of a genuinely good selection of music in between sets, I picked out How To Dress Well’s Ready For the World and Shlohmo’s remix of Burial’s Shell of Light while we were waiting. Before long oOoOO stepped up to the stage, with a big hood and his own female vocalist in tow. His set was very different from Balam Acab’s bright and wondrous sounds, forcing unusual noises from his machines and evoking emotions closer to disorientation and dread. A creepy black and white video ran behind the two as they worked silently through new material, moving fluidly from one song into the next. All oOoOO’s normal sounds were present; syrup-thick synths drenched in eerie reverb, sharp uneasy strings and ghostly female vocals swimming over the top. After a few new tracks including NoWayBack from his upcoming release, he returned to earlier material with his stunning debut EP highlight Burnout Eyess. For these more vocal-heavy tracks the singer came out from behind her synths and samplers to sing and dance in front of the crowd, but it didn’t really work for me. I thought music with such gravity and darkness as this would be better performed by artists who almost dislocate themselves from their sound, allowing the tunes to speak for themselves. Despite slightly distracting showmanship, the run through Hearts and Mumbai was great; dark bass stabs sounding magnificent on Point FMR’s soundsystem. After a couple of new tracks, including a very intriguing tune with a harsh Hip Hop vocal loop, the singer left the stage to leave oOoOO to close solo with Sedsumting. The final track really brought to the fore the darkened sensuality of his sound, and put a fantastic end to a powerful set.

Holy Other - Touch

The night was closed out by Holy Other, who entered masked and didn’t waste time with introductions. He immediately ran through a continuous and brilliant set of tunes ranging from dark, glitchy productions to brighter, more vocal-driven material. Unfortunately I’m not very familiar with his releases so can’t go into details on which songs he played, other than a surprisingly emotive performance of We Over and a mindblowingly sensuous rendition of Touch to close. In a way Holy Other was the most impressive artist on display, as he seemed to get everything about his performance right. His anonymity was enthralling and seemed very appropriate for his sound; as the last notes of Touch trailed off he turned and left the stage without so much as a nod. The trippy visuals behind him of rippling water and grainy manipulated footage of a hand subtly added to the experience rather than overstating any particular emotion or effect, and his set was absolutely breathtaking from start to finish. At the Tri-Angle showcase there was not one but three excellent gigs held back to back, and although the current European tour is over if you see them coming to a venue near you I could hardly recommend the night more highly.

20 Best Albums of 2011

Best of 2011

EPs

Singles

Albums

With electronic production becoming ever more ubiquitous in mainstream culture and ever more experimental on the fringes of music, it’s no surprise that it dominates my list of 2011’s best albums. My favourites of this year included a good few atmospheric electronic pieces, a few dance-focused LPs and some stranger fare, but the overriding point in common is the exploration of how computers are being used to create ever more evocative and thought-provoking music.

Obviously in choosing only twenty I’m missing so many of the year’s great releases, but when reflecting on a whole musical year the factor that stands out besides innovation and skill is longevity; the year-end list is the unique spot where a reviewer can look back and say ‘Yes, that was great, but am I still listening to it? Will it stay with me beyond this year?’ If the answer to these questions is a fervent ‘yes’, then that album is on this list.

PS - The list is arranged in sets of five as I feel when you get to the very best albums of the year they appeal to different people and fulfil different criteria, so it seems pointless to separate them. Click on the album titles to see my full reviews from earlier in the year.

#20-16

SBTRKT  - SBTRKT

Wildfire

On his debut full-length, the anonymous UK producer achieved the rare feat of marrying Dance and Pop with unerring success, crafting a fun and exuberant selection of accessible tunes.

Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972

The Piano Drop

The always brilliant Ambient / Drone producer released one of his very best works this year in Ravedeath, an evocative and haunting album that twists live organ recordings from an Icelandic church into a beautiful artistic statement with masterful electronic tweaking.

Peaking Lights – 936

All The Sun That Shines

Husband and wife duo Peaking Lights exceeded expectations with their blissed out LP landing somewhere between western Dub and the more experimental side of rock.

Andy Stott – Passed Me By

New Ground

With Passed Me By, Andy Stott finally broke out to a wider audience who rightly adored his unique take on House; fatigued, innovative, and utterly hypnotic.

Panda Bear – Tomboy

Surfer’s Hymn

Noah Lennox somehow met the stratospheric expectations heaped on his new LP before its release, refining his trademark sound of reverb-drenched vocals and hypnotic guitar loops into something fuller and more outward-looking.

#15-11

Sully – Carrier

2 Hearts

Sully didn’t exactly surprise me on his debut LP, delivering dark 2step tracks crafted with the same skill and care as his previous output, but just how much I still listen to these tracks is a surprise. The London feel is embedded deeply into these tunes, and each cut is a self-contained gem of paranoid dance rhythms.

Roman Flugel – Fatty Folders

How To Spread Lies

This carefully-produced LP is a masterclass tour of Techno’s many faces, straddling influences as varied as Dubstep, Kraut-rock, Minimal and Deep House, while always remaining crisp, danceable, and enchanting listen after listen.

Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

An Echo From The Hosts That Profess Infinitum

This uncompromising Hip Hop album married unusual flow and polemical subjects with some of the most challenging and innovative production I’ve ever heard on a Hip Hop album, resulting in a stunning piece that sounds like it was sent straight from the future.

Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact

Mindkilla

Gang Gang’s staggering musical evolution continued unabated this year, and Eye Contact was business as usual from the Brooklyn band; fusing too many genres to mention to create an album of superb and enjoyable Dance Pop that not only sounds like nothing else, but also represents their most consistent release to date.

The Field – Looping State of Mind

Arpeggiated Love

This beautiful set of finely micro-edited loops showed that there’s more than enough life in Axel Willner’s formula to sustain an entire career. These hypnotic tunes are nothing short of staggering, proving yet again that no one does loops like The Field.

#10-6

Martyn – Ghost People

We Are You In The Future

Martyn’s latest was a true masterclass in Dance production, showing not only a producer bravely leaving his comfort zone (again), but a collection of varied and exciting tunes bursting with energy and atmosphere.

Tycho – Dive

Coastal Brake

A lot of artists over the last year tried to create sun-drenched Electronic tunes that mesmerise through chilled vibes and warm synths, but Tycho’s mature and detailed album Dive put them all to shame. This hypnotic and rewarding LP does its stunning cover art justice, and will stay with you long after the flames of 2011’s more immediate releases have died out.

Zomby – Dedication

A Devil Lay Here

Dedication is the most introverted and frustrating (mainly down to track length) release of Zomby’s glittering career, and it says a lot about Zomby as a producer that these facts hardly mattered. The introversion in fact worked to this album’s advantage, and six months on this collection still sounds fresh and brilliant; a moody and varied selection of dance-infused Electronic tunes.

BNJMN – Black Square

Black Square

Benjamin Thomas achieved quite a feat in releasing not one, but two superb albums in a single year. His second for Rush Hour, Black Square, was my favourite – a lush and innovative selection of beautiful Techno tunes that shift organically through an array of mesmerising sounds.

Kuedo – Severant

Scissors

Jamie Teasdale’s first solo release on leaving aggressive Dubstep duo Vex’d was an unexpected move, and all the better for it. Severant is an utterly unique LP presenting atmospheric and futuristic Electronic tunes, and by a long way one of the most engaging and innovative releases of the year.

#5-1

Shlohmo – Bad Vibes

Places

The LA-based Beats scene slowed down quite dramatically in 2011, but from the hush emerged its brightest star, in the form of young producer Henry Laufer. Exceeding the promise of his early EPs, on Bad Vibes Laufer created the ultimate chill-out album; lush and beautiful organic instrumentation combined fluidly with electronic clicks and beats. Bad Vibes achieves that rare combination of being both an easy choice for relaxation and an incredibly rewarding close listen due to the quality of these compositions, and for these reasons it’s probably my most played LP of the year.

Machinedrum – Room(s)

Now U Know Tha Deal 4 Real

Room(s) is an incredible achievement for dance veteran Travis Stewart; it somehow manages to combine almost every dance genre into an utterly brilliant full-length, traversing moods and styles with a rare ease while always maintaining the innovative details and tight production skills that keep the listener coming back for more.

Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise

I Got A Woman

Brilliant new producer Nic Jaar pulled out all the stops on his gorgeous debut album, appropriating vague influences from a huge variety of genres to create a sound entirely his own. These spacious and atmospheric compositions still sound exciting and unique almost a year after its release, and his future looks very bright.

Rustie – Glass Swords

Hover Traps

Rustie’s phenomenal debut album was surprising in so many ways; it was very distant from the producer first productions, it sounded like absolutely nothing else, but the biggest surprise was that he aimed so high on Glass Swords and track after track pulled it off with style. These tunes fuse every unfashionable genre in the book with style, creating a collection of unabashed joy, all underpinned by a display of masterful composition at its incandescent beating heart.

Balam Acab – Wander /Wonder

Apart

The young Alec Koone’s debut album is by no means the most accessible or exuberant album on this list, but for me it is easily the most beautiful. Here is an album of deeply emotive and expertly composed tracks that exists almost outside of genre; the tracks progressing like waves between enchanting synth highs and dark dubby lows, all held together by ethereal vocals to magnificent effect. The tunes on Wander / Wonder are quiet and unassuming, but given time they reveal themselves to be one of the most atmospheric and rewarding collections I’ve heard in years.

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I'm off to see Scuba and Joy O tonight, I hope everyone has a great New Year's and look forward to much more from White Noise in 2012.

Video of the week: Balam Acab – Apart

Anyone who regularly follows this blog will know how much I love Balam Acab, and in fact I still regard Wander / Wonder as my album of the year to date. Although the LP was a highly emotionally interpretable and sonically lush collection, to date this is the only fan-made video I’ve found that really does his sound justice.

This video for Apart tells a very simple story; that of breaking through a barrier and in doing so, gaining the possibility at fulfilling an unrequited love. Simple it may be, but it’s really in the craftsmanship and detail of this piece that the video excels. A beautiful stop-motion with a muted palette and gorgeous natural images, the video introduces itself by delving into a single drop of water just as the song proper begins, implying the presence of beautiful secret worlds that exist unseen in every hidden corner and unobserved facet of the natural world. A flower grows in a single droplet and rises up, a delicate and beautiful skater who dances elegantly inside her frozen world. A dandelion seed enters the magical world and is transformed, as she was, into the lover, as another part of nature come to life. Just as he sees her and the music slows, a wall of ice is constructed between the two and he laments his love, railing powerfully against his fate. His sense of loss is so strong that it produces a physical effect and breaks down the wall to enter hopefully into her world, cheering not at the achievement of his love, but at the possibility now offered to him. Throughout the music compliments both the visual action and style superbly, and the video stands as a beautiful and nuanced love letter to the secret worlds that exist in nature and our imagination, just as Wander / Wonder does across its course. 

Balam Acab – Wander / Wonder

Label: Tri Angle

I've been waiting for this album to come out for nearly a year, and as we moved into 2011 it was easily top of my most anticipated LPs; so I was a little on edge on first listening to Alec Koone's debut album. Turns out I needn't have feared, as this is without a doubt one of the most elegant and brilliant electronic releases in recent years.

Koone's previous release, See Birds, came out on Tri-angle records when witch house was the most hyped thing on the planet, and suffered slightly from being incorporated in the genre. Many of the other 'drag' artists had none of his subtly or elegance of composition, but thankfully the EP continued to gather interest months after release and almost broke free from the restrictive labelling, but with the brilliantly titled Wander / Wonder Koone has shown that he is in a league of his own.

The thing is, Koone has hit on a winning formula. In his gorgeous but brief EP See Birds we heard synth melodies and ambient washes build subtly only to be pummelled by dense bass and electronic effects akin to bubbles rising through water. This tended to be all topped off midway through by superbly manipulated vocals that suited each track to a tee. Here all the ingredients are the same but the whole is pulled off with an unexpected finesse and elegance, resulting in an assured and deeply beautiful album that rewards listen after listen and is without a doubt my personal pick for album of the year so far.

Water is clearly the theme of the day here. Besides the actual water samples littering the tracks, the voices and melodies sound submerged, only occasionally bursting for a few glorious seconds to the surface before returning into the depths. The aquatic theme is also fitting in terms of sequencing, in that while they can be picked apart as singles, the tracks also flow together wonderfully. Koone stated in an interview that he wanted it to be a more open-ended listening experience, and by all means he has succeeded. This lends the LP a free-flowing quality so it can be listened to as a whole or in whatever order you want. The other reason this is so important is because his sound mutates so organically, which is especially notable within the field of electronic music where the human aspect can so easily be removed. These tracks blend the synthetic sounds with a strong emotive pull seamlessly to ensure the listener is never too alienated nor too comfortable, resulting in a listen that is both beautiful and profound.

It feels to me almost as if Koone is one of the few taking electronic music in a new direction. While M83 achieves emotional punch through melodramatic teen-angst synths, Acab's labelmates on Tri-Angle trade in dramatic spookiness and the UK's freshest artists are rehashing the past in more and more innovative ways (not that any of these are bad things), Koone's compositions evoke an emotion that is both curious and ineffable, as interpretative as they are powerful. The closest comparison would be electro/acoustic crossover artists like Shlohmo and Shigeto, but all the more power to Koone for achieving these effects while keeping every sound firmly in the electronic domain.

I've been talking about the LP generally quite a bit because it's difficult to pick out and comment on favourite tracks; there's so much to say about all of them. That's not to say these songs are hard-going, part of Koone's brilliance is that his songs are so welcoming in their dreamy ambience, ghostly voices and on-point beats that it could take a few spins to realise how much depth there is to his composition. If you do seek out intricacy in these tracks, there's a wealth of detail to be unearthed. Welcome sets the scene, building a tense bubbling noise with respirator effects to a fever pitch before an intensely reverbed beat clatters across the soundscape (literally from left to right). After this we hear those vocals that are so uniquely Koone's own: disconnected but moving, situated somewhere between a ghostly choir, ethereal children and the incongruous operatic tones from old records. The effect is far from limited; although there is a unity in their overall sound, the voices range from hopeful to melancholy, strengthening to downright threatening. It's also worth mentioning that in an electronic climate where artists are chopping vocals so finely (see Mount Kimbie, Pariah etc.), Koone's choice to leave them as comprehensible fragments is refreshing and lends the tracks a greater sense of structure.

The next three tracks tie together magnificently; Apart comes to life with real strength, leading into the shimmery Motion which combines a deep bass with pretty strings and a perfectly timed clacking chime. After this Expect is similarly lush and impressive, with a different structure as the slow melody and twin vocal layers (the regular ghost voices combined with angelic harmonies over the bassline) compete with the mutable bass which builds in pace to a threatening speed, made all the tenser by those seesawing strings. Koone's music works so well because of its contrast; the undeniably pretty (in the best sense of the word) is always undercut by a melancholic longing, just as the light melodies are combined with that deep bass.

Oh, Why is definitely a standout (if I was forced to pick one), building with sublime innocence to a subtle and soaring crescendo, made especially superb by the dueling of that continuous high-pitched wail with those bubbling synths towards the end. In the final couple of tracks the water level significantly rises (literally, you'll hear it). The brilliant ambient stretches that precede each song proper are extended here, and as the drops in each track wash over the listener like another crashing wave in an endless sea, here those waves are spaced further apart and all the more powerful for it. Await is fantastically understated and intensely sorrowful whilst dark and redemptive closer Fragile Hope builds over a lengthy yet subtly precise intro to an unshowy but perfectly pitched finale. The last track also has one of the most stunningly nuanced beats I've ever heard, a fragile juddering undermining its own force, and the track leaves the listener with feelings of uncertainty and the most curious positivity, but more than anything the desire to hear the tracks all over again.

There are a couple of criticisms that could be levelled at this album. Firstly, I've heard people describe Balam Acab's sound as 'samey'. My response to that would be to give the songs more time and allow the detail to reveal itself, because each of these compositions are wonderfully unique while at the same time unified by their overall sound. And although I referenced a 'formula' earlier, the album is more a profound exploration of a particular sound than similar rehashings of a winning structure. The other is that the collection of tracks is too short, and it's certainly true that 37 minutes is on the short side for an LP. However I've already stated the album lends itself magnificently to repeated plays, even working brilliantly when set on a loop, there is so much here to discover. Furthermore, the short runtime feels appropriate in an album of such elegance and concision where so much is said over and over again with less, and this is especially laudable in a climate where tracks are all too often stretched to bloating point by self-indulgent instrumental sequences.

I keep using the word 'curious' to describe the emotive effect of this LP, and it's purely down to my own ineloquence that I can't quite put my finger on what feels different about the way it moves the listener. All the feelings here are submerged and blurred, as if by painting emotions with the broadest brushstrokes Koone is masterfully making them intricately and personally applicable to anyone who chooses to listen in. However it makes you feel, the album is endlessly beautiful, fantastically detailed and masterfully subtle. Although the LP doesn't have the high-octane pull of some of the work of his contemporaries, Koone takes the quiet road to aim at something beyond the simple 'Oh shit, this sounds good' reaction, and has diligently crafted a superb album which, if you let it, will worm its way past your brain into your heart and stay there.

This won't be a 10/10 album for every listener, but it is for me. I'm not giving the score because it's the best LP ever recorded but because I feel its as good as it possibly could be. The emotions are treated with a tender abstraction that only electronic music allows, and I'd be surprised if there were many fans of the genre who didn't recognise the unquantifiable innate beauty of these songs. As a piece of art it makes you feel and it makes you think, all the while taking the admirable road of understatement. It sounds like nothing else, and could be said to be a quietly bold statement on the possibilities of electronic composition. As a whole it seems to me one of the most unique, intriguing and moving electronic albums of recent times. Get listening.

10/10

Dance and Electronic Roundup

Here I've collected the tracks I've been sessioning this week, brand new dance and electro from great albums and singles or from artists who are about to release a new LP. Just thought it might be nice to share some thoughts on what I'm listening to at the moment.

Silo Pass – Bok Bok

A track from the new Southside EP by one half of juggernaut label Night Slugs, Bok Bok. Throughout the EP he showcases weird sounds and full-throttle dance production, but here is where he connects most with the grime flavour that threatens to emerge throughout the EP. Opening with a spare buildup consisting of far-off voices, an enthralling beat and creeping synths, at the one-minute mark the track breaks down magnificently into a filthy grime bass that is dancefloor catnip. Despite the unusually long runtime for a dance track this cut never gets boring, with the bass receding and coming back each time bigger and more intoxicating than ever.

Streetz Tonight - Araabmuzik

Part ambient, part trance, the new album from gangsta-rap producer Araabmuzik was a big surprise to everyone. In this prime cut he incorporates classic 90s euphoria vocals in the form of a sped-up version of those from Kaskade's 4am, clipping the sample and never quite letting it reach its peak before it is battered back down by his snares and beats. The result is a completely hypnotising cross-breed of genres which is a prime example of the old adage that however uncool the genre you're reviving, a masterful control of tension and release can make any track a banger. You're now listening to Araabmuzik.

Unglued – Objekt

Harking back in some ways to older dubstep, the mysterious Objekt's (Berlin-based TJ Hertz) latest single was undoubtedly fantastic, but it was this B-side that kept me coming back for more. The track is stripped to a level of pure aggression, moving through several distinct movements before settling into a propulsive beat with acid and jazz tinges cheekily laced throughout. Added to this, after a minute or so of cut-throat beats and violent 2-step snares is one of the most explosive and messed up drops I've heard this year. Suffice to say there's a reason everyone's getting so excited about Objekt, and I expect this track to continue ripping up dancefloors for the next few months.

Open Your Eyes – XXXY

XXXY's particular brand of future garage has been attracting a lot of attention this year, and his latest release looks set not just to continue the brilliance of cuts like Ordinary Things but also to change things up and better them. Adopting a more jungle aesthetic, the drums on this track are exploding hardcore-style 808 beats that are absolutely ferocious especially after the huge drop, and an emotive element is woven into the mix with the sampled refrain “Let's go somewhere”. It's clear from the off that this Manchester-based producer is moving somewhere special, and with tunes like this I'm more than happy to go with him.

Laurel Halo – Aquifer

This is the opener from Laurel Halo's new EP Hour Logic, and it's a gorgeous techno-trance mindbender. Opening with fizzing liquid synths, the track builds slowly and carefully with subtle vocal snatches before the slow-drive bass kicks in to ground the crazy pace of those synths. Laurel Halo has shown a consistently cerebral output and this track is no different, showcasing her compositional skill beyond her astounding voice. It's busy but always lucid, and the distorted pipe-synth kicking in midway through the second minute lends an epic oriental grandeur to the sound introducing a steady beat. The layers are brief but expertly interlaced, declaring proudly that Arbor is one to watch.

Oh, Why – Balam Acab

The first full track from Alec Koone's album due out late August entitled Wander / Wonder. Balam Acab is one of my very favourite artists around at the moment and this taster shows that he's likely to deliver on his Triangle debut. Opening with his trademark treated vocals which sound otherworldly and unlike anything else, the track showcases a luxuriantly slow build that reveals gorgeous depth on repeated listens. The ethereal vocals are backed by a perfectly pitched loop of lazy synths and record hiss, introducing a bassline of masterful subtlety halfway in. Then the dubby bass kicks in accompanied by a soaring male vocal line, building quietly into a beautiful release of eery synths and straining vocals with instantly recognisable bubbly arpeggios breaking through the noise. Dark and beautiful, this promises great things for his debut LP. Another fantastic track from the upcoming album, Apart, can be found here.

Shell of Light (Shlohmo Remix) – Burial

I've saved my favourite until last, this track has been on daily repeat on my iTunes since I first heard it. Remixing Burial is a daring move, but Shlohmo's take on the gorgeous and all-too-brief end of Shell of Light is pitched perfectly, treating its source material with respect and turning it into something completely different. Opening with the untreated sample, the single vocal line is achingly emotive and only enhanced by the masterly bass and broken beats. Just before the 2-minute mark the track drops off and a sampled falsetto is laced expertly with the sample, creating a ghostly and beautiful song which is utterly hypnotic, demanding repeated listens in its thrilling interplay of lost voices, subtly insistent percussion and entrancing synths. An exciting sign of the quality of Shlohmo's debut album Bad Vibes which drops next month, from which a track can be found here.

Chilled

King David's Melody – Augustus Pablo

Country Gal Dub – King Tubby

Memories of the Ghetto – Augustus Pablo

King In My Empire – Rhythm & Sound

Keep On Dubbing – Augustus Pablo & King Tubby

Vibrate On – Lee 'Scratch' Perry

Radio Retaliation – Thievery Corporation

Jacqueline – Hugh Mundell

Africa (1983) – Augustus Pablo

Shine Blockas – Big Boi

93 til Infinity – Souls of Mischief

All the Sun that Shines – Peaking Lights

Smoking Buddha – Onra

Lovers Carvings (Letherette Remix) – Bibio

Place to Be – Nick Drake

Star Witness – Neko Case

This Beard is for Siobhan – Devendra Banhart

Banshee Beat – Animal Collective

Apple Orchard – Beach House

Divina – Toro Y Moi

Oh, Why – Balam Acab

The Gaudy Side of Town – Gayngs

Unspoken – Four Tet

The Daydream – Tycho

Peacock Tail – Boards of Canada

This playlist is more laid back, for blazing in the heat. It starts off with some great old reggae and dub cuts with a lot of Augustus Pablo and King Tubby by way of some less known but equally brilliant modern cuts like Thievery Corporation and Rhythm & Sound (yes, there's a lot of Pablo, but he's just that good).

From here we move through a brief hip-hop stint with some of the shiniest and most laid back tracks from Big Boi and Souls of Mischief, switching over to some lovely singer-songwriter turns from Nick Drake and Neko Case by way of the trippy variations of Onra and the Letherette's gorgeous syrup-thick cover of Bibio's Lovers' Carvings.

After this we have some more chilled cuts from Beach House and Animal Collective, followed by some of the most laid back sounds from the last ten years of electro, taking in Balam Acab's brand new cut Oh Why and leaving us with Tycho's shiny road-trip song The Daydream and ending with what might well be the most relaxing song of all time, the inimitable Boards of Canada with Peacock Tail.

Balam Acab – See Birds EP

Balam Acab's music could be called a lot of things. He's generally seen as part of the witch house crowd with acts like oOoOO, Salem and Modern Witch, but this EP really sets him apart. Yes, his music contains the slightly unnerving, sensual vibes that a lot of these projects give out, but with time these tracks give a lot more to the interested listener.

The EP, although only a brief 20 minutes in playtime, definitely lends itself to repeated listens. In fact, it'd probably be an easy one to pass over. His tracks normally kick off with asian-sounding string or electro samples layered with a dubby throb and dusty beats such as the superb and darkly atmospheric opener See Birds (Moon), or the equally excellent second cut Regret Making Mistakes which has a relentless and unforgettable dub pulse running right through the track. He has an excellent sense of timing, building and taking away layers of sound at the perfect moments to compliment his tracks and make them endlessly relistenable. And in every single track, just when you're blissfully chilled and sinking into his dream-like sound, he brings in some ethereal female vocals that sail across the top of his tracks, always perfectly and effortlessly implemented. A perfect example is the penultimate track, Dream Out, which has the sound of a benign, ancient machine straining to awaken from a dream. Or something similarly trippy and appropriate.

However the undeniable highlight of the EP is the central track, Big Boy. The track makes you wait a good minute before you get anything of real substance with a haunting little melody, but as soon as the bubble bursts it's completely enthralling, and you won't want it to end.

The last track See Birds (Sun) is good but doesn't quite hold the high standard of the others, and this coupled with the brevity of the release mean I couldn't quite stretch to saying it's an excellent record. But if you like the vibe, give it some time because this one is pretty much the definition of a grower, and certainly a winner.

9/10