Al Pagoda Lucky Veil

From his longtime association with Osunlade’s Yoruba Records imprint, Melbourne DJ/producer Mike Steva now delivers a quintessential cut of his own organic rhythms for Innervisions with The Sound Of The Sun EP. Draped in timeless sounds throughout, the EP opens with the unmistakable birdsong of the early hours atop a deep, chugging rhythm. The hypnotic minimalism of “Dawn Of A New Day” is sustained with floating key chords, before an unexpected turn at the halfway point blooms into thrumming synths, handclaps and murmurs. “The Sound Of The Sun” captures and keeps rich golden beams, guiding them to refract and resonate against glassy percussion and an urgent tech-infused beat. Distorted acoustic notes are stretched and warped, adding noirish desert tones in contrast to rising fever-pitch cymbals. “Time Of Light” then charges into view, raising the heat with peaktime energy as insect sounds are looped and transformed into a pulsing accompaniment. Bringing things to a steamy conclusion, “Baba Himalaya” borrows from tribal traditions to pay tribute to cross-cultural sounds, pulled forward by sweeping vocal solos and harmonic choruses.