[Acido Records]

Though I may no longer be in school, September still tends to mark the beginning of the year in my mind, and whether starting a new semester, a new job, or moving to a new place (all three common September activities for me), it’s nice to take the time to look back on and revisit the records I’ve bought over the past couple months. One of the best that few have really been talking about is Transilvanian Galaxi’s You Always Have Been The Caretaker on the wonderful Acido Records. Transilvanian Galaxi is, after a bit of research, a pseudonym for Norwegian producer SkatebÃ¥rd, and his last (and first) release under the Transilvanian Galaxi name was a slice of New Beat-infused Italo for Sex Tags Mania back in 2010. You Always Have Been The Caretaker takes a full 180-degree turn, dropping the tempos and suffusing atmospheric constituent parts with a pervasive narcotic haze.

If that description makes your mind immediately heads off towards Workshop then you’re not that far off. The title track lets cinematic soundscapes swirl around a low-slung bass line, kick drum, and rimshots, and takes its time moving from one section to another. It’s a strong cut whose swelling strings and heads-down construction make it a prime choice for weirder dance floors. “Sequence 2” on the flip is a shorter cut that nudges up the energy with arpeggios and shifting percussion patterns without really moving the tempo knob. Last up is “God DR-55,” ostensibly an ode to the first of the Boss Dr. Rhythm drum machines, which uses that kit’s famously reduced palette to extract some really nice grooves. You Always Have Been The Caretaker marks a high point for Acido, which has recently been deservedly paid more attention due to their run of highly original and very good records over the past couple years. If you’ve yet to check out what Acido is up to, this would be a good place to start.