Lake Haze

Mysterious, melodic and dark - Portuguese can-do-no-wrong-er Lake Haze is back, adding to his impressive catalogue a four-tracker EP named 'Coordinates Of A Decaying World' for Lisbon's ever-attentive Paraiso.

Off-beat toms and rim shots paired with squelchy, slippery, acid make the opener, 'Galactic Federation', feel as bouncy and polyrhythmic as a non 4/4 track, playing a delicious illusion on the audience - completed emotionally by beautifully textured stabs and pads that speak of longing and perhaps of ethical space exploration to escape the pains of this Earth.

Reverb-drenched arpeggio acid and digital choirs welcome the listener in a grandiose, almost goth-like way, offset by an improvisational, on-the-go arrangement spirit, an impression that is met by the track title 'Jamming in Dracula's Castle'.

The B side opens with fat kicks and bass, its textures reminiscent of dutch and Belgian rave traditions; expertly merged with a Moroder-like synth-a-delic motif - always propulsed by that driving, taking-no-prisoners bass and acid lines.

The last track of the EP takes us to sunlight-drenched territories in comparison, with a warm sub bass and classic breaks serving as a base to another one of Lake Haze's expertly programmed acid lines.

The beautiful pads and melodies prevail, but the feeling in this closing number gives us an optimistic glimpse into a better future, after an EP that is about showing us some moodier, shadowy emotional rave bangers.

• 1 Galactic Federation
• 2 Jamming In Draculas Castle
• 3 He Called Himself The Italo Legend
• 4 Acid Genesis