- With each new release on Paris's Antinote label, Dangkhoa Chau drifts further and further from the dance floor. 2014's Drop did tricky techno with drums like soap bubbles. Last year, Love On Delivery showed off Chau's boogie and modern soul sensibilities, while his L.I.E.S. 12-inch (as 45 ACP) dabbled in slo-mo and lo-fi textures.
Island Of Dreams, a dainty seven-track album clocking in around 25 minutes, could have been part of International Feel's recent spate of mini-albums. Much like that label's artists, namely Len Leise and CFCF, Chau dabbles in gauzy drums and glistening pads. "Evening Shadows" has a chiming new age melody and gentle woodblock raps for its beat. The title track features a bath of rippling harps and raindrop percussion—perhaps wandering a bit too deep into spa soundtrack waters.
The percussion perks up on the album's second half. "Memories" has syncopated metallophones and the distant call of a smooth jazz saxophone. "Raindrops," one of the album's highlights, wears its Wally Badarou influence on its sleeve. Closer "High On The Sea" dabbles in pan pipes and clock-like tocks, a perfect soundtrack for sitting out on a cabana at sunset.
Tracklist01. Evening Shadows
02. Ivory Forest
03. Play On
04. Journey To The Sun
05. Memories
06. Raindrops
07. High On The Sea