Following on from a promising debut on sound snoopers’ imprint Baroc, Ireland via Sydney based producer L Neils returns with a brilliant second effort for Echovolt Records. Most certainly a wise pick for the Athens-based outlet as the neo-Australian appears to have found the perfect balance between danceability and off-beat patterns, deftly push-pulling kosmische synth ascensions and vaporous acid trails to leave you dazed.
The opening track 7th Chapter brings the heat straightaway, putting on display a lattice of dubbed-out synth arpeggios spinning like helixes in outer-space while raucous bass worms rise from their intergalactic burrows. Neils hammers breeze-block kicks and subtly lashing hats over a twirling strip of floaty pads for a trippy journey across the closest nebula. Then Untitled skyrockets up to further unexplored spheres with the same acid-impelled engines, stepping even deeper into meditative states with its remote vocal shards for only landmark. The track unrolls a series of shuffling flexions at restless pace and Neils keeps the swing going with undeniable talent.
The flip side offers a slightly diverging approach with MKMKMK, a finely-crafted piece of groovy let-go, opening like a portal to a wholly new dimension. Neils’ volatile melange of husky drum patterns and evanescent synth melodies flourishes delicately here, offering a very convincing perspective of the Australian producer’s ability at maneuvering in mid-water between hard-hitting cuts and melodic motifs. That’s before Beta closes the EP in muscular manner, mixing compulsive acidic lines and broken-beat galore in one electro-inflected blender for an epic last stand. The cosmic journey has just reached its apex and despite its title, L Neils’ second opus definitely proves to be an alpha release.
Beta EP is out now on Echovolt Records, order a vinyl copy from Boomkat.
TRACKLIST
A1. 7th Chapter
A2. Untitled
B1. MKMKMK
B2. Beta
Discover more about L Neils and Echovolt Records on Inverted Audio.