Review
Setting aside the sun-drenched, nylon-string wanderlust of Fase Luna, Sam Eastgate retreats into the machine shop, trading organic sprawl for strict rhythmic discipline. Collaborating with producer Alex Ridha, Eastgate sharpens the club-oriented impulses that have long hovered at his perimeter, doubling down on a rigid, minimalist setup dictated by vintage Korg circuitry and his own custom-wired synthesizers.
The arrangement relies on stark spatial economy: solitary synth patches and bare drum-machine programming leave generous room for Eastgate’s exposed vocal range. On "Breathe", a driving quarter-note kick anchors shimmering chord progressions, while "Ever No" pits unvarnished devotion against squelching, subterranean basslines. The sequencing constantly recalibrates its energy; "Sailor" suspends eccentric pop melodies across an unsteady dub lurch and scattered piano chords, only for the title track to accelerate into a pressurized burst of rave percussion before "Message" resolves the tension in warm, repetitive analog arpeggios.
