Review: "Algebraic" EP by Tasos Peltekis
Tasos Peltekis opts for a chilled out downtempo journey on his soothing effort “Algebraic”. With velvety sounds, the production on this EP has a tremendous lushness to it. Things are kept slow in order to truly appreciate every possible detail of the sound. Melodies resonate with such rich, colorful textures, and rhythms lazily lounge on by with the multiple layers interacting in a blissful fashion.
Stylistically, Tasos appears to be firmly rooted within downtempo, incorporating elements of trip-hop, IDM, and even jazz into the mix. Featuring such a plethora of approaches, Tasos goes for something that feels absolutely stunning. Beyond this, Tasos employs a hint of playfulness into his arrangements letting a trickster persona loom large over the collection.
Boards of Canada and Nightmares on Wax, both of these play a role within the collection. For the nostalgia-soaked samples, the Boards of Canada reference feels undeniable. The oftentimes light and airy moments recall the early innocent works of Boards of Canada like “Music Has a Right to Children”. Such a looseness to the whole of the work at times draws from the dubbed-up infusions of Nightmares on Wax. Much of the collection veers into the inspirational, as the songs radiate so much hope. By taking on this sunny disposition, everything about the “Algebraic” EP shines gleefully.
The mood is set immediately on the classic cool of “Mira”. Delivered with so much love, the piece incorporates elements of dream pop and ambient into the mix, allowing the whole thing to truly soar. By far the highlight of the collection comes the sweeping style of “Plein Air” where a bit of the psychedelic filters into it all. Fully coming into bloom, the far-off echoes further add to its Four Tet vibes.
“Jenabus” offers breezy atmospherics, with the guitar elements giving it a distinctly tropical quality. On “Broken”, Tasos get a bit more intense with the beat work out proving to be a wild, maddening thing. Effortlessly bringing things to a conclusion, the spacious closer “Lost Echoes” goes for a unique sense of wonder.
Sounding like a true classic, Tasos Peltekis’s “Algebraic” EP is a dazzling thing to behold, with so much beautiful behind it.