Montreal / Paris record label Cosmic Tones is back for its sophomore release. CT002 is a Various Artists EP showcasing the work of six talented producers from the Canadian underground.
URA-DUST – Dream
CT002 opens with this downtempo collaboration by URA from Vancouver and Dust-e-1 from Montreal. Hazy and ethereal, the tune is driven by a broken beat, ecstatic melodies, angelic choir stabs, and lush pads. There are elegant cosmic vibes on this dreamy cut, somewhere between IDM, celestial dub and forward-thinking Balearic.
M Salaciak – Degra’s Vision
The cosmic voyage carries on with this catchy and starry-eyed tune by M Salaciak of Montreal. Here, the interplay between 303 and 808 creates a vibe both heavenly and sensual, full of understated lysergic euphoria and with the compelling syncopation of a bona fide electro beat, reminiscent of Mid West electro’s trippier excursions.
Priori – Glide
With a shuffling 909, a 808 cowbell, miscellaneous percussion, oceanic sounds, deep pads, brilliant use of space and gliding melodies, this cut by Montreal-based artist Priori is a nod to the golden age of IDM and those compilations on Warp. But there’s a twist that comes through the track’s warmth and its broken beat: this isn’t techno, nor is it purely electro, but something wonderfully unique.
Bunzinelli – Hyperloop
A bouncy beat sets things in motion on this mid-tempo tune from London-born and Montreal-based artist Bunzinelli. Analog synths, airy pads, hard-hitting drums and what can only be described as a space didgeridoo coalesce gloriously. It’s an ecstatic tune with both aural fractals for your mind and your feet.
Dust-e-1 – Live By The Leaf
Behind this name is a Montreal fixture behind the Little Tape project (a mix series, a web radio show and occasional events). With a focus on generous breakbeats and innocent melodies, there is an undeniable sun-drenched atmosphere, perhaps of a Balearic persuasion, on this tune. In any case, it’s the sort of track that instantly puts a smile on any dancefloor.
R Weng – Sound Of The Breeze
Closing the EP is this plodding downtempo tune that sounds like a lost bedroom recording from the UK’s ambient house era, where a synthetic rhythm section and precious melodies are blended with dreamy guitar licks. The result is a soothing tune that gently caresses its listener like a summer’s breeze.