[Delsin]

Until recently, Delsin had not been known for having a particularly ambitious A&R department. The label tended to release material by a limited selection of family members, but lately it’s been on fire with talented new signings — putting out records by newcomers Yør and The Please on the Purple Maze imprint and now the debut 12″ by the Italian producer Hazylujah. It’s immediately clear why Delsin sought him out. His tracks play with filtered, sci-fi synth motifs in a way that resembles more the general aesthetic of the label than any particular artist, combining an emphasis on ambience with loose, deeper techno structures.

If there’s any criticism to be leveled against these tracks, it’s that they can be a bit too loose. The charging title track sounds great — its buzzing synth and acid patterns remind of Underground Resistance — but the almost random breakdowns make it drag, especially given its eight-minute length. The bleepy, metallic electro of “Hazylutrax,” which precedes it, is more to the point. It seems destined to be an unorthodox secret weapon for DJs as one of those awkward, jerky, genre-transcending tools. The flip showcases a more promising, refined side. “Dream Logic” really does feel a bit like Hazylujah is sleepwalking through his sequencing, banging out pummeling drums while adrift on a stretched, placid bed of pads. Even better is “Minds Wired,” where dazed filters are expertly contrasted with a rubbery, tightly wound rhythm, showing a lot of smart restraint all the while. Though patchy at times, Too Many Ghosts shows a producer of the Morphosis school of tough, human-touch, intuitive programming, fitting right in with his new labelmates.