- Like some of his LA dance music contemporaries (Suzanne Kraft, for instance), Sage Caswell has been indulging his ambient side as of late. Textural swirls and wafting synth beds have long filled out the corners of his house tracks, but starting somewhere around last year's White Light 103, a largely ambient mix of all original material, those sounds began to commandeer their own space. He said of that music, "I think I just wanted to make something I could do nothing to. I take a lot of naps and just recently started listening to music while sleeping. I enjoy listening to these songs when I lay down or feel anxious." This would explain the dreamlike artwork and title for his new Spring Theory EP, Sleep Quarters. Split between a house side and an ambient side, Caswell's four-track record marks the latest step forward from a producer who is carefully and effectively honing his voice.
What's noticeably different about Sleep Quarters is how Caswell has changed his approach to house music. It seems that since he now has dedicated beatless tracks, the dance floor stuff has been cleared of most atmospheric incidentals. That clarity works well on "Sleep Quarters" and "Paper USB," two rhythmically dense rollers that balance sizeable drums with gummy synths and a delicate touch. If Caswell hadn't given each mix that added room the percussive intricacies of "Sleep Quarters" wouldn't sound so sharp, and "Paper USB"'s busy key sequence would've lost its snappy brilliance.
The A-side is so strong on its own that the flip feels more like a couple of bonus tracks. "For Runner" is the winner here, with its blown-out pad loop and shrouded countermelodies evoking The Field's best moments, though "Shiny Dog" has a loose, Gas-like wispiness that would be easy to soak in for hours. No one would've batted an eyelash if Caswell had released each side of Sleep Quarters under different aliases, but when brought together, they sound like two sides of one well-articulated personality.
TracklistA1 Sleep Quarters
A2 Paper USB
B1 Shiny Dog
B2 For Runner