This EP, and the Ritual in Transfigured Time collection released earlier this year, prove HVL has attacked 2015 with a rare relish that promises ever more attention will be directed towards the impressively progressive Georgian scene.
Before Putin made headlines by brazenly bullying Ukraine, he was busy pushing around another ex-Soviet nation: Georgia, the humble statehood bravely straddling the boundaries of Europe and Asia. The news of the Russian Army’s actions in the tiny Caucasus nation didn’t receive nearly as much coverage in the West, largely because most people weren’t even aware Georgia was not just a state but a strikingly unique nation, with a cultural identity forged by twin Islamic and Orthodox heritages. From this fused society more news has filtered westward; luckily this time it is the arrival of an emerging cadre of talented young producers and not the frenzied saber-rattling of an estranged despot. While much of the attention given this cohort has recently centered on Gacha (a.k.a. Bakradze) following his signing to the esteemed R&S label, HVL has also shown immense promise with his ethereal brand of house that is showcased beautifully on his latest EP Lucky Star of High Minded.
The first two tracks on this release grow from the same seed and could be seen as facets of a single idea, keeping the delay-driven groove front and center throughout. The first of this grouping, “Your Heart Speaks for You,” adds bell and sine synths to the equation to establish a pulsating dreamscape. The title track opts for carefully constructed cymbals and speech over a looping guitar sample, with the continuously opening and closing filter over the guitar creating the motion of ceaseless waves. The last in this cluster, “She Can Land on a Dime,” is perhaps the most textbook of the group and its key driven beat will be readily familiar to many. The final track, “Wild Combination,” sees HVL pursing an entirely different notion. It eschews the familiar four by four in favor of syncopated kicks wrapped around layers of offset hats and a spaced vocoder lead, with an ecstatic scream emerging unheralded from the mist. This EP, and the Ritual in Transfigured Time collection released earlier this year, prove HVL has attacked 2015 with a rare relish that promises ever more attention will be directed towards the impressively progressive Georgian scene.
Lucky Star of High Minded is out via Rough House Rosie and available on Juno.
