Unknown Mobile has quietly carved out a place for himself in the ever-evolving Vancouver beat camp among contemporaries like Mood Hut, 1080p and Project Pablo. Last year's 'No Motion' 12 on A/S/L Singles Club was Levi Bruce's dreamy introduction to most, and 2017 finds him stretching out a bit to further expand his palate of rhythms and textures across the five track 'Mixed Use' EP for Young Adults. 'Four Sided Pebble' is a breezy bouncer woven with tickled keys, raw bass and a seamlessly organic live feel throughout.
'Shoreline Dub' pulses in stuttered syncopation, but keeps its sights set on the dusk dusted horizon with delayed rhodes chords and ocean swells.
'Country Side' is a total mind-melt, a pastoral graze through mazes of circuit board crop circles.
'The Juggler' churns a buttery 4/4 beat in an echo chamber, while 'Proteus 216' dims the lights on its way out to an interstellar communications convention. More

Young Adults return to the fold with another gem from the Polish underground. Having bubbled up in the Polo House scene for the last couple years, 2017 finds Richu M stepping into the forefront for his debut outing 'Donor Goes To Hawaii'. Rhythm-centric, but varied in approach, the 6-tracker traverses swirling techno, heady thumpers, muddy beatscapes and throwback boom bap. Simultaneously airy and off-kilter, the release shows a breadth of approach that is not easily pigeonholed, but feels vaguely familiar. Opener 'Round' soundtracks a laser tag pursuit scene with swayed synths, chattering percussion, and pitch-shift vocal echoes. The title track 'Donor Goes To Hawaii' takes a Dilla bounce kit to the beach and gets the vibraphone and organ all sandy. Jazzy piano loops and squelchy synths stack wobbly layers high like Jenga blocks on 'Aquarian Mummies'.
'Pistaccio' gets subterranean with infectious skittered patterning and a proper bump to boot. Picking up the pace, 'Melting Dolphins' is a funky floor filler. Finale 'Landskates' blisses out with floating pads and a meditative drumroll. More

Daniel.T. has been subtly making waves over the past few years as one half of the LA duo Cosmic Kids with releases on labels including Throne Of Blood, Let's Play House and DFA. A record collector and selector at heart, 2015 has seen him flesh out his solo productions with world-leaning contributions to Chit Chat's Brazilian tinged 12 and American Standard's African summer stunner. Young Adults brings Daniel into the fold for his debut Tetrachromat mini-LP spanning a sprawling spectrum of sounds, but unified by a signature West-Coast sheen. Opener 'Mission Hill Morning' stretches its arms in the early AM mist, 'Tetrachromat' jogs steadily toward the horizon and 'Planetesimal' accelerates the MPH in the drop top down PCH. On the flip, 'Laced' takes a smoke break down a dusty dirt road, 'Akoussah' sprinkles some sultry spice and 'The Sun & The Sky' sits back while the sea sips up the last remaining daylight. More

Ptaki's tunes soar wide-winged like their translation (bird) infers. With a breakout single under their belts on the Very Polish Cut-Outs 'Krystina' and a swirling vapour of mystique surrounding them, the duo present their first full 12" of original material which is both contemplative and transfixing. The Kalina EP on Young Adults Recordings clocks in around 25 minutes, but the ground it covers cannot be clearly conveyed through conventional cartography - a birdseye view of jagged cliffs, coastal haze, rolling bagpipe hillsides, and smoke signals. Opener 'Warsaw' borders on the sublime with a patience and gentle simplicity that can't be taught or bought. Placidly ethereal, this is cinematic Balearia in the tradition of Quiet Village that won't soon be forgotten. Chimes, toms, horns and strums swell and crash like gentle titans. 'Foxy' builds slow on Celtic tropes and emerges from the bell tower with a jump in its step. Vocal swoons keep the pace atop effective strings and a bouncy bassline. 'Kalina' builds on an effortless guitar and displays the duo's songwriting chops with a stable balance of emotion and punch. The closer 'Skala' explores deeper territories with a thumping low end and acid workout, but still manages to drift into dreamlike states with its meandering flute refrains and guided meditation samples. More

Glasgow based MermaidS have been quietly making waves since 2011 with an infectious blend of choppy edit-style punchers and slow morphing body music. The duo have already had releases on their own eponymous imprint as well as Nonlocal out of Canada, but made their biggest splash on Ali Ooft's recent FOTO Recordings' sampler EP Four's A Crowd. Their contribution 'Run With The Night' easily stole the show on the release and made its way into many well respected record bags including Roberto Rodriguez, Ben La Desh, Andy Ash, Martin Hayes of Rose Records and the always on point Sleazy Beats gents. The tides are steadily turning in their favour and have carried them to Young Adults for their finest material yet. The Handsome Stranger EP kicks off with 'Cherry Cola', a looped-up thumper that builds on perfectly paced vocal refrains until it crescendos and blasts an unforgettable horn all the way home. 'Signal' revs up gradually and gains momentum with ease, displaying MermaidS' keen ability to chug with the best of em. Flip over to the B and 'Chateau Mermont' thrusts full bore into choppy waters, cranking up the heavy heat for heady floor moments. 'Everything But You' rounds out the wax with knuckles to concrete abound - pounding beats and a submerged bouncy bassline. More

As part of a growingly endangered breed of all vinyl musicologists, L.A.'s Young Adults opt to let the records play in this digital age of instant gratification. The first installment in their commitment to pressed wax platters culls a collection of spectrum exploring body music from cohorts both near and far. Starting off the festivities is the golden child, Suzanne Kraft, whose feel-good stunner 'Jus U' exemplifies why Running Back was oh so eager to add his talents to their ever impressive roster. The sun soaked strut that shimmers on this sampler track is just a teaser of things to come on Lil Suzie's forthcoming 12" EP for YA later in the summer. Next up is The Dead Rose Music Company with a shimmering study in repetition that only adds to their laureled cloud of mystique. A driving pulse and infectious vocal snippet assure that "Soothe My Mind" soars in both headphone and floor-tested settings.
On the flip, Urulu brings down the lights and cranks up the diva on a soul-studded banger that burrows its way into the deepest psyche caverns. "Missing You" balances grit with a glossed-out sheen personified by loopy lipstick signatures on rusted bathroom mirrors. Rounding out the affair is a dank and dirty collab between up-and-comers Grown Folk and LOL Boys. "Ghost Path" exists deep in the acidic bowels of the night and guides its followers through uncharted terrains without a flashlight. Make sure to buckle up. More