hey everyone. happy july.  got a nice roundup of mostly dance adjacent stuff today, but don't worry living room loungers, the field has you covered. web link

pvas - slipstream

PVASSlipstream

this one really sent me reeling. released last year on objekt's label, slipstream by pvas delivers on the functional foundations of dance music while pushing against its boundaries. listening is as exciting as the first time i heard djrum or skee mask, but with somewhat more attention paid to dancefloor functionality. the shapes of the tracks are bizarre, the ways the rhythms emerge and shift hypnotizing. the mind bending acrobatics remind me of maoupa mazzocchetti, but laid on top of more sensible foundations. terminal, ripped & boba are probably the highlights, but there isn't a weak track here. boba has this mindsmearing effect that is one of my favorites and is hard to come by. kind of fixing your feet to the ground and dragging your psyche across the ceiling. unreal. as good as anything, maybe better. highly recommend. 

the field - now you exist

thefield.bandcamp.com/album/now-you-exist

the field returns after a twelve year absence with an LP of his signature loop driven perfection. its pure magic as always, go listen as many times as you can. since hearing it for the first time, i've been struggling to articulate the subtle but stark difference from his previous work. the field has a great discog to really dive into. you can easily cycle through it for a month or so, just living in his world of evocative loops. his past work has this sneaking menace between the cracks that really builds up as you listen. its also lush and lovely, but there is an unsettling quality. not so here. now you exist replaces that menace with a gentle loving warmth that seeps in throughout the LP. it's much needed, and tells me that the german maestro is tuned into the moment and offers this to us as a balm. highly recommend for picnic blanket or evening drive type purposes.

gold panda -  ton up 

Gold PandaTON UP

suprising release from gold panda comprised mostly of straightforward techno workouts (maybe chicago house? the fast crazy kind). raw, dusty, and seemingly straight out of the sampler, the tracks conjure the image of the solidly middle aged gold panda freaking out on an mpc in his home studio in london, hooting and hollering. that effect itself is quite charming, bottling the raw joy of dance music experimentation with limited tools. the music itself is good, but excels neither as dance music nor contemplative music for home listening. maybe it's my fondness for his older material, but the way he channels the joy of discovery that can be found in experimentation makes the whole thing worthwhile for me. there is a chance ill find a home for some of the tracks in a set someday, which is a nice bonus. i missed his 2022 LP which on a skip through seems to be more in the vein of 'lucky shiner' my favorite of his works. i will check it out. recommended for working out or maybe doing chores.

sepehr - fools ovation

SepehrFool's Ovation

i've been keeping an eye on sepehr for some time now, trying to work tracks into sets, but something was always off. he has figured it out on this release, also on objekt's label. most successful for me are the tracks that hover around 130, low slung, laid back, with shifting sleazy atmospherics. the tracks transport you from the party you are at to the party you want to be at. impresario is pleased is the standout, with one of the grooviest basslines i can recall, and perfect party starting structure. just magic. recommended for dancing. 

the field and gold panda? what is this 2011? love u