- Fresh off a fascinating left turn for New Kanada, French producer Seuil strips things back to the very barest of essentials to provide an EP that—to my ears at least—is the very essence of the deeper pastures of the 4/4 beat. His approach to "Ultravision" is methodical, taking away all the non-essential elements and leaving a skeletal branch; raw, exposed and entirely lovely. With its muted chords and thunderously deep bass, it's an emotionally charged piece even before Jaw's troubled vocal joins in, adding its own bleak ambience. Given the overriding grey palette on display, what's most surprising here is that it doesn't feel sad. It's a tragedy that elevates rather than condemns.
The other track on offer, "In the Moon," treads a very different path. A ghostly arpeggiated synth forms the translucent backbone of a pulsing techno number that bubbles and bounces its way through its nine-plus minutes. If nothing else, it shows that Seiul can more than hold his own in creating dance floor-ready cuts. But even despite its subtle atmospherics, it can't help but feel a little gaudy next to the untempered loveliness of "Ultravision."
Tracklist A1 Ultravision feat. Jaw
A2 Ultravision (Dub)
B In the Moon