APOTEK – Just you and I
First up on another night full of tidy UKG-adjacent stuff is this lovely warm bit from Brussels-based Italian producer Elisa Di Riccio, aka APOTEK. It’s been a demanding few months for me — mostly, work has been a bear, but also because raising two young children is such a constant challenge. In a way, the common thread is how hard management is. The role of the middle manager probably gets even less societal respect than the role of parent, but both really deserve a few more flowers. Handling people is fucking daunting, regardless of the context in which it occurs. I say all this because I’m so incredibly excited for the vacation I’m about to go on, and the sentiment and vibe of this song is timed just right. A ghostly spectral voice repeats ad nauseum over the lull of a buttery bassline and phantom pads: I can hardly wait. I feel kinship with that disembodied figure. I just keep repeating to myself — and anyone who will listen — how much I need to get away from this face-melting grind, into a few weeks of mild northern European weather (cross your fingers for that), and into the comfort of my family, immediate and extended alike. Grab this on bandcamp or find it streaming at all the usual outlets.
APOTEK – “Just you and I”
HAELIUM – Levitate
Next up, Parisian producer HAELIUM (Gabriel Kadiri) delivers a gentle 2-step ditty full of only nice and round sounds; soft edges only here, nothing harsh for miles. Since I’m about to embark on that vacation, this will hopefully set the right tone for lifting off and softly breaching the clouds — maybe not quite levitating, as the title might suggest is possible, but the closest most humans can get. I’m also posting another one from Kadiri, from his New Era EP, released late last year. It’s a touch heavier than the new one, but with a great gospel-ish sample that makes it equally transcendent. You can grab both of these on bandcamp, or find them for streaming all over.
HAELIUM – “Levitate”
HAELIUM – “Cherish The Peace”
Voka – P’s and Q’s
Last up before I leave, anothe run UKG cut, this time from Canadian producer Voka (Hayden Gullins). As the vocal directs the listener to be, this is a well-mannered track: clean, minimalist production, no sound out-of-place or offensive. But while there aren’t any risks taken here, Voka pushes the buttons right, and delivers a nice little late night snack. Apropos, I learned recently that the origin of phrase “mind your Ps and Qs” isn’t settled, and there are a few theories. The historical theories relate to typesetting and bartending: early typesetters had to be careful not to confuse the mirrored lower-case letters ‘p’ and ‘q’; bartenders had to be careful not to confuse pints and quarts. There are several others, but my favorite is that ‘P’ is shorthand for please and ‘Q’ for thank you. Mind your manners this summer, friends; see you in a month or so. No bandcamp here, but you can find this for streaming anywhere you do that sort of thing.
Voka – “P’s and Q’s”