John Beltran ‎– The Sky EP Series No. 2

pure and sweet <3 . . . . . .

Although this release has been labelled techno, it deviates from the solid 4/4 form of techno that John Beltran showcased on his 1995 R&S release Earth & Nightfall (although it must be noted that that particular album deviates from that template throughout as well). Two of the tracks on this EP (Watercoloured Dreams and Petra) are ambient numbers, replete with warm synth drifts and subtle arppegios. The other two tracks welcome some syncopated breakbeats into the mix. Ayla possesses a loose jazzy vibe - a tastefully placed piano reenforces the late night feel of this track, whilst Soul Sketching features a repeated vocal throughout, which sounds to me like it was extracted from a tribal chant/song...bassy undulations hold the track down, allowing the other elements to float over the top. Both tracks could probably be mixed into a drum & bass set with a heavy ambient/jazz leaning.