Cosmic mindtrips: Apply within.

The night sky gleams a metallic gray, a thick coat of purplish-black spread slowly and evenly across it, like grape jam on a warm slice of toast. Solid colors and shapes melt away into an amalgam of mushy, cloudy hues, so to the surrounding sound glistens and glitters a final time, comforting and embracing in its soothing, effervescent, cosmic trance, before dropping off into a cascade of creamy synth melodies and smooth, spacey pads.

Once in a while, one needs to substitute rhythm with substance and completely engulfing atmosphere. These selected tracks will do just that. It is never too late, too early, or too soon for chill-out cuts.

This first track comes from Altair Nouveau's Space Fortress EP on DFA Records. Although a much more pop-oriented affair, "Sorcerer" maintains bubbling, arpeggiated synths that wrap around yourself softly and comfortably, like a velvet blanket in the middle of winter. The squelchy main synth line bounces through the front door on a bed of heavy, throbbing snares and kicks. The underlying synth simmers for a moment before launching into the soaring, mind-numbing synth hook, sling-shoting the listener through a cosmic star field of lush, spacey synths and smooth, grooving drums. Short, but indubitably sweet.

Altair Nouveau - Sorcerer by paul solardisco

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This next cut comes off the [FREE!!!!!] Ghostly International x Adult Swim compilation, Ghostly Swim. FLYamSAM's absolutely dope "The Offbeat" sounds like J Dilla in space. Clobbering live drums shake your core while the loopy, cosmic synths set a gooey, surreal backdrop that almost begs you to lie back, relax, and let your mind stray... After a minute or so, things launch into space, and a razor-sharp backing synth adds a hefty dollop of trippiness onto the already loose and lax production of this stellar instrumental. Even shorter than the last, but well worth at least one listen.



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This final tune comes from another face from Ghostly: Michna. "Swiss Glide" kicks off with a game of pool before bringing in a groovy, zaggying beat that reminds me of RJD2. The sighing, hollow vocal samples give way to a sensual, moody brass section that sounds wonderfully bronzed and dated, perfectly in place with a soundscape as sharp, bumpy, and laxly produced as anything I've ever heard. Things tighten up soon after, and this is no insult to Michna: the organic, live-sounding elements of the track progress smoothly and flow wonderfully, like a late-night lounge groove. Check out Michna's album "Magic Monday", also released on Ghostly, for more cerebral-by-way-of-the-feet goodies.




That's all. Relax and enjoy your nights. Lights out.
-NL