- Hazy house tunes with a dash of breaks.
- Xavier Van Bouwel first appeared on Lobster Theremin two years ago with a fuzzy, melodic house EP that fit the label's remit like a glove. One track, "Us Together," hinted at something greater, the kind of dramatic tune you might end a set with. On his second EP for the label, Close Your Eyes (And Feel), Van Bouwel's talent comes into sharper focus. There are effervescent breakbeats, melancholy moods and piles of synths. Veering from lazy-day jams to sunset bangers, it's all executed with surprising prowess for a producer with only one previous record out.
Close Your Eyes (And Feel) touches on what's becoming a new Lobster Theremin sound. A combination of dazed melodies and gentle breakbeats, it's a formula that's also ubiquitous among younger house producers in general. The title track is almost too on the nose. Its old-school breaks, bubbling bongos and nostalgic mood calls back to Flørist's 2015 hit "Marine Drive," whose wistful style is a blueprint of sorts for this scene.
You find the real gems deeper into the EP. "When Two Souls Reach" has an impeccable groove, with chords and pads that come together well. "Broken (And Out Of Sync)" and "Stream Of Consciousness" feature bits of acid squelch that are more textural than melodic, adding extra depth to the tracks. Like "Us Together," from his first EP, "Stream Of Consciousness" is another big tune, gliding over a foundation of strings buoyed by shuffling drums. It's transportive, the kind of music that makes you close your eyes on the dance floor, just like the EP's title asks.
TracklistA1 Close Your Eyes (And Feel)
A2 Broken (And Out Of Sync)
B1 When Two Souls Reach
B2 Stream Of Consciousness