Before relocating to New Zealand, Blue Soul (AKA Scott Boutin) left a mark on the distinctive house music scene in San Francisco. Over 15 years, Blue Soul was found DJ’ing at celebrated SF parties like Sunset Soundsystem Campout and the long-winning Housepitality, and releasing records on his own imprints, Divine Resonance and Aphorism Recordings. Blue Soul’s sound was — and is — an amalgamation of underground dance music styles, incorporating elements of deep house, breakbeat, techno, and disco. In addition to his own labels, over the past 20 years Blue Soul’s releases have appeared on imprints like Roam Recordings, Whiskey Pickle, and 3AM Devices.
Now Blue Soul unleashes a spectacular 8 song album that is an intimate and psychedelic trek through his underground influences. Titled Hedonic Adaptation, the album leans toward analog acid and electro flavors without eschewing the sonic diversity and uplifting melodic sense that Blue Soul is known for. The opening tune, “Juno Communication,” quickly sets the tone. Comprised entirely of sounds sourced from a Juno-106 synthesizer, this breezy tune wouldn’t be out of place on Warp’s Artificial Intelligence series. Another highlight is “The Future We Didn’t Get” — a dancefloor-focused affair, including a disco rhythm, intoxicating synth sequences, and move-inspiring vocal drops. And the album’s title track shows yet another side, immersing the listener in full-on acid electro-techno with groovedelic results. The other tunes continue to deliver electrifying surprises for the headspace — dive deep into Blue Soul’s Hedonic Adaptation.
Piiit (Septante Sept) – “Back to electro funk: Nice!”
DJ H4L 9000 (Excuse Me? Club) – “Great EP! It’s difficult to choose a favorite.”
Gold Code (Omakase) – “Great album, room for all of these tracks in my sets! Favorites are Hedonic Adaptation and Acid Transcendence.”
Jackmaster Flash (Book Called Galanta) – “Each of these describes a certain drama meticulously in their own unique way. The overall sound quality of every song is great.”
Snooba (Radio Panik) – “Haunted folklore is on the way. Acid and Indie slow tempo virus!”
Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) – “I’m in love with this!”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel show) – “Music like this is a ray of light right now. I’ll give this some radio play.”
Salah Sadeq (The Crate Radioshow) – “This is brilliant! Love it.”
Dr. Best (Radio Z 95.8, Nuremberg) – “Yummy acid-flavored electro snacks!”
Jon Fugler (XLNT Radio Show) – “Fascinating collection of tracks. Always a pleasure to hear some variety in the tempo ranges.”
Available Now From: Juno Download, Beatport, Bandcamp, Apple Music, And Spotify.