Ambient sounds, presets stolen from the Casio SK-1, and bright and nostalgic melodies brushed over malleable beats, make up fleeting and childlike slides. Light, indeed, very light.
A quietly seductive and captivating ear massage
Khotin’s early releases were among the best efforts of the mid-2010s house underground, with standouts like Why Don’t We Talk and Baikal Acid featuring hauntingly sweet melodies and spacious effects anchored by steadily propulsive beats. Moreover, his fourth album titled Finds You Well, is a masterclass in muted, less-is-more beat-making; his expressive and smoldering soundscapes make for a quietly seductive and captivating ear massage.
In the new album, for the first time, he enlisted Nik Kozub to do the mix and assist with sequencing. Dylan Khotin-Foote (aka Khotin) has long worked with the Edmonton-based musician and engineer in the mastering phase, as well as their days co-running the label Normals Welcome, and this time was able to involve his ears earlier given their newfound proximity. “I think it’s my best sounding record to date.”
Release Spirit begins with English vocals with an Eastern European accent that would also have fit on DJ Koze’s already-classic “XTC”, and slow-paced techno that makes the senses fade away (“Techno Creep.”) Release Spirit, like so much music of the past few years, reflects the influence of the pandemic, as it was written and recorded in the artist’s native Edmonton after he moved back home from Vancouver. Ambient sounds, presets stolen from the Casio SK-1, and bright and nostalgic melodies brushed over malleable beats, make up fleeting and childlike slides. Light, indeed, very light.
Release Spirit is available on Ghostly International. [Bandcamp]
