- Solar One Music hails from Jena, a long-time hub of science and research in Germany. Founded by The Exaltics and Nico J in 2007, the label's releases often feature imagery concerned with the future and outer space. Their latest endeavour is a series dedicated to the legacy and impact of NASA's Hubble Telescope, with the records meant to evoke the feeling of space travel. The second instalment comes from Gerard Hanson, AKA Convextion, an electro producer from Dallas who has been putting his own spaced-out spin on Detroit-style music for years. Ancient Light is Hanson's first release as E.R.P. since 2013, and it's alluring for how effortless it sounds.
Despite its overt theme, Ancient Lights isn't a departure from previous E.R.P. material. The title track is Hanson at his silkiest: everything is rounded and fuzzy, with soft-focus chords and a gently rolling bassline. "Eagle Nebula" is melancholic, recasting Recondite's best work in an electro skeleton—but there's still a grotty bassline to offset the delicacy. Arranged with perfect harmony and pacing, "Eagle Nebula" is the sort of ultra-refined tune that only a seasoned artist like Hanson could make.
Hanson gets grittier on "Gleaning Creation." It's slower, heavily phased and features boxy, distorted snares that thwack like they're being splattered against the front of the mix. (It evokes Gerald Donald, the ex-Drexciya producer who is slated to appear on the third volume of Solar One's Hubble series.) Those snares are an obvious throwback to classic electro, but in Hanson's hands they don't sound appropriated. The EP is rounded off by a remix of "Ancient Lights" from Solar One boss The Exaltics, who reinforces it with a thicker, gurgly bassline. Burly as it is, the remix still goes to highlight Hanson's intricate songwriting.
TracklistA1 Ancient Light
A2 Gleaning Creation
B1 Eagle Nebula
B2 Ancient Light (The Exaltics Remix)