- Andrew Hogge, AKA Lovefingers, is no stranger to crate-digging. Exhibit A: His acclaimed mp3 blog, which relentlessly tracked through occulted tunes past and present before closing its doors at file number 999. Exhibit B: The endless string of edits cobbled together for his Black Disco label by a who's who of the weirdo disco underground. Hogge's latest project, ESP Institute, keeps up this archaeological streak, excavating new gems from far corners of the globe. Its latest find is Cos/Mes, a Japanese duo who are now slated to turn out no less than four singles and a full-length.
If this initial release is any indication, it's safe to say that Balearic beats have hit Japanese shores: The three tunes here are heavy on the Harvey, brimming over with beachy bliss and oceanic drift. The eponymous A-sider is a striking piece of jackin' tropical house scientifically designed to be played outside, resplendent with animal calls that swoop through the dense, sizzling air, mixing with hazy hissing-cicada sounds and organ swells. A well-placed Roland-y tom fill gives the tune extra uptempo gas. Jonny Nash's remix of "Heavenly Trax" ups the Balearic ante even further, at times skirting kitschy waters but never getting swept away in the current: Piping flute motifs dart like seagulls, harplike trills entice you to play in the surf.
At the end of the record you'll find the extended version of "From Other Space," a track remarkable not only for its crystal-clean production but also for the fact that it is, paradoxically enough, almost maddeningly short. Its opening distinctly invokes the cinematic atmospheres of Quiet Village: Full of anticipation and riding a deep codeine-on-the-beach groove, it lets long choral aahs unfurl with deliberate languor before a massive slow-mo kick hits your skull. Energy builds. Captain, where are we going? Then it stops. Fades back into island ambience. As if, en route to an Italian island, your yacht just ran out of gas. Hope you can swim.
Tracklist A DFG feat. Dr. Nishimura
B1 Heavenly Trax (Jonny Nash Remix)
B2 From Other Space (Extended)