Review: Image Man's discography may not yet be bulging, but it already includes a couple of killer singles built around dusty deep house loop jams, and melodious, Motor City-influenced explorations. On Glance, the New York native's debut for Vancouver institution 1080p, he continues on this theme. There's much to admire, from the snappy drum machine rhythms and jazz-funk loops of "More", and spacey, Detroit inspired dancefloor dreaminess of "Else", to the glassy-eyed new age house positivity of "Glance". Closer "Goobye" [sic], with its' thick, sludgy, delay-laden drums, swirling sound effects and distant vocoder vocals, is reminiscent of the halcyon days of ambient house.
Review: Since debuting last year, J. Albert has showcased his brand of hard-to-pigeonhole dance music on an impressive array of imprints (Lovers Rock, Black Opal and Cult Trip included). Here, the Exotic Dance co-founder pops up on 1080p, treating fans of the Vancouver institution to a quartet of ear-catching compositions. While there are a few fairly typical 1080p type cuts present (see the dreamy, breakbeat-driven deepness of "All In", and head-in-the-clouds broken house of "Strictly J"), it's arguably the most eccentric cuts that hit home hardest. Chief among these is opener "Pangs", which feels like pitched down jungle-jazz fused with horizontal deep house, though the bumpin'-but-ocean deep "For Soho" isn't far behind.
Review: Those who checked out Allergy Season's recent Allergy Edits release may have stumbled on a track from the previously unheard Complete Walkthru. It turns out to be a new pseudonym from 1080p regular Max McFerren, and this is the Brooklyn producer's first full-length under the alias. While many familiar McFerren traits are present - think vintage breakbeats, wiggly acid lines, intelligent techno sounds, and hardcore-era sub-bass - much of the music on Complete Walkthru is far deeper, melodious and - in the label's words - "contemplative" than his fizzing, floor-friendly singles. The result is an album that refuses to stand still stylistically, contains all manner of colourful, vibrant highlights, and pushes McFerren further towards home listening territory (despite the presence of some particularly bold drum rhythms).
Review: It's amusing to see some outlets calling the latest release by Thomas Brown and Aaron Turner aka Perfume Advert 'garage house'. The reality is that the northern English duo takes influence from the hazy deep house sound carved out by DiY during the 90s. Sure, there are vocal samples on "Mirror Shield", but like the Nottingham collective's releases and DJing, Perfume Advert bury them deep inside cavernous chords. "Single White Junker" follows a similar path, with a powerful bass supporting the dissected samples. Perfume Advert then turn their attention to German influences, with "Destiny Bond" sounding like Terry Lee Brown Jnr at his dubby best and "Gown" veering down a clicks'n'cuts route.
Review: 1080p's latest full-length comes from Elan Benaroch, who used the opportunity to debut a new alias, Elka. Chants is, in many ways, typical of the Vancouver label's output of late. Melodious, tactile, dreamy and spaced-out, it sees Benaroch paying tribute to a variety of vintage styles, from classic Chicago deep house ("Pass Groove"), and early '90s intelligent techno ("Expander"), to loved-up, Sueno Latino-era Italian dream-house ("BBX1999"), deep acid ("Silver Beach", "Couch Trax"), and boogie-flavoured synthesizer house ("Heard & Seen"). Predictably, it's a hugely enjoyable set, with Benaroch getting just the right balance between analogue-rich fuzziness and head-in-the-clouds melodiousness.
Review: Originally released in 2016 on local imprint 1080p, Vancouver duo You're Me recorded this album of downbeat experimental grooves on Salt Spring Island - located in British Columbia's Gulf Islands. Comprised of Yu Su and Scott Johnson Gailey, this is grainy and lo-fi music in the tradition of recent Vancouver electronica. Canada's third largest city that has given us revered labels in recent times such as Mood Hut and Pacific Rhythm, with their distinct aesthetic dictated by a slow life amidst the region's beautiful scenery and temperate climate. From hazy ambient house and drifting dub techno experiments, through to psyched-out soundscapes and a bit of drone, it's all rather captivating in its diversity.
Review: Damon Eliza Palermo has previously appeared on Ital's Lover's Rock label, bringing forth an admirable bundle of loose ambient and forward-thinking new age music. All of his sounds are bound in a mytical sort of coating, something that is loudly heard on Clouds Of David. The beats that trickle out of the lonesome pads five these tracks the right sort of movement, and although they are in no making them into bog room dance hits, they could easily be mixed and mashed up with more beat-heavy tunes. It's magical, it's fresh, and it's kind of perfect for this time of the year. Top draw.
Review: Out of the many Dialects that are out there in the music world, this one will be of interest to those who enjoy the swell of abstract ambient electronics coming out of labels such as 1080p. Previously found on Tasty Morsels delivering the Advanced Myth album, the Liverpool-based artist has crafted a wonderful continuous journey that at times marries strumming guitar niceties with delicate, cascading synth notes in a faithful approximation of what 21st century folk music should sound like. The mood can shift in subtle ways, using field recordings to bridge gaps into more moody territory, turning back to serenity at a moments notice with a rich spread of instrumentation to point the way.
Review: Vancouver's 1080p goes from strength to strength in its pursuit of the most subterranean styles of electronic music. There's just something about the Pacific North West at the moment! The mysterious Umfang serves up a diverse array of moods, grooves and textures that have us impressed. The spacey deep house of "Beta Librae" and "Quickly and Softly" are similar to Terreke while there's some reductionist, early noughties style minimal house in the form of "Vast" and "Six". Tracks like "Shant" and "Cygnus" delve into more freeform territory but still keep things ultra deep and floaty. Highly recommended.
Review: NAP is the latest artist to appear on Vancouver cassette/digital label 1080p. To begin with, it sounds like he is going to follow in the footsteps of Moon B and Scientific Dreamz of U: "Urban Fare" is a deep, glitchy techno track with echoes of both early 90s Warp and early 00s Mille Plateaux. "Donat Forget the Records" meanwhile, emulates the work of modern house labels like Mood Hut and its crisp drums and warm synths could even be a modern take on Prescription or Balance. From there on in, the release shifts sound radically; "U19" is a tough, bruising percussive techno affair while "Contra III" is a dark, tunneling affair in the finest Dozzy / Mulero vein.
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