Cold Busted presents Exquisite Spirits, the latest from D.Dahlinger, a self-described “Northern California-bred, Japan-based dusty dollar/yen bin loop digger.” The follow-up to 2016’s debut album Brisk Temps (and his appearance with Pigeondust on Cold Busted’s Only On Vinyl 2 compilation), Exquisite Spirits is another brilliant exercise in tough, boom-bap beats at meditative tempos and engaging sample source genre-clashes. D.Dahlinger’s influences are wide-ranging, with Paul’s Boutique and Paid In Full hotly tipped alongside psych-rock and shoegaze, as well as the attitudes of west coast skateboarding culture thrown in. A relocation to Japan also created noticeable inspiration, giving the music a wandering flavor that often feels like solemn exploration.
A prime example of D.Dahlinger’s distinctive sound is the curiously titled “B,” which dreamily combines glistening harps, compressed vinyl noise, and lovely piano over a solid beat foundation. There’s also the pensive build of “Color Scheme 13,” with a gentle flute that deceptively calms the listener before the approaching sonic storm; the molasses intro of “Wind Back Up” which increases in tempo to reveal an intricate construction of samples and melody; and the deft trip hop thump of “Anyone’s Out There,” featuring layers of D.Dahlinger’s trademark hypnotic embellishments. Exquisite Spirits lives up its name, being both haunting and hard-to-ignore ... beats designed for the ages.
Robert Jan Meyer (Compost) – “Great downtempo exotica!”
Azaxx (Tru Thoughts) – “I like the atmosphere of all the tracks. Good project with big influences. Delicious hip hop beats and amazing MPC/Sample spirit. Bravo!”
Mr. Bristow (Subtek / Detox) – “Love this. Just up my street, and excellent quality.”
Spike Deep (Rocka Fobic Music) – “This package is great. Chilled trip hop beats with jazz downtempo. Dope!”
Rory Hoy (Howlin’ Records) – “Beautiful Hip-Hip instrumentals here.”
Eric Tchaikovsky (Night Light Sound System Radio Show) – “Walking on clouds of atmospheric beats … it sound like that!”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel, Sydney) – “Full support here, beautiful set of tunes.”
Robert Lochmann (The Jazzmadass Radio Show) – “Another pristine downtempo release on Cold Busted. Summer Vibes!”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) – “Some excellent tracks infused with the new experiences of real life. It's music from the soul. My favorite track is "Too Many Delectable Things" simply because I am a jazzier!”
Floored Capri (Kane FM) – “Beautiful. Multilayered, snappily, crackly, poppy hip-hop goodness. Another dope release from Cold Busted.”
Available Now From: Bandcamp, Juno Download, iTunes, And Spotify.