- Last year, the underground boogie and modern soul producer Jamma-Dee was in a car crash, a tragedy that wound up connecting his mutual friends in the Arcane label head Edgar Rojas-Masferrer and the Vancouver producer Yu Su. Su sent a few tracks to the label, music that she had made in the wake of her mother's passing earlier that year. Soon after, Rojas-Masferrer lost his father, which made the music resonate deeply with him. And while Arcane generally trades in boogie-funk, murky smooth jazz and dusty edits, Yu Su's meditative five tracks found a home there, with Preparations For Departure dedicated to the memories of both parents.
Across her first two cassette releases (for the Wichelroede and Genero tape labels), the Vancouver transplant struck a balance between ambient, new age and downtempo jazz in a way that felt both mysterious and poignant. "Make Your Escape" reveals more of her home city's "Canadian Riviera" flavor, though she favors the mellow end of the sound, her claps and hi-hats moving delectably in slow motion. Yu Su's touch is judicious, weightless yet certain. Hand drums echo through "Bluestone," joining with a snatch of reverb-heavy guitar so that they twine together like tendrils of smoke.
That sense of lightness belies a more wistful undercurrent to the B-side. "I'll Say When I Can" and "Early" both feature Yu Su's sax, which adds a melodic and textural layer to the proceedings. She loops the horn, extending its breathy tone and making it cry out, its ambience bringing to mind the luminous ambience of Gigi Masin and Gaussian Curve. It also reveals that Yu Su might be one of the scene's strongest new voices, repurposing the breezy, smoky sound of her Vancouver neighbors to convey more somber feelings.
TracklistA1 Make Your Escape
A2 Bluestone
A3 Highland Way To My Heart
B1 I'll Say When I Can
B2 Early