Ssaliva - We Never Happened (2017)

Ssaliva offers the tantalisingly ephemeral dynamics of We Never Happened on his follow-up to Be Me, also for Ekster. Operating almost exclusively in the higher registers, Saliva’s newest piece proceeds a string of lush releases for Vlek, Leaving Records and Bepotal to leave us light-headed and floating 3”s above our chair.

Bearing no small resemblance to the flawlessly cute motifs of Motion Graphics’ eponymous debut, as much as the sheer dynamics of Arca or 0comeups One Deep - which both share a fascination for hyperlucid Japanese ‘tronics - We Never Happened unfolds like a hyaline hyperprism of virtual chamber pieces for a sophisticated manga space-lord.

The atoms of its frozen tones and wide, plasmic basses are seemingly caught in transmutation between states of crystallisation and sublimation, contracting and expanding between the vertiginous pinch of Panel and the Autechreian dimensions of Scope at the front, to the chromatic freefall of Oxy and the alien jazz moods of Protection4 at the record’s core, before matters become detectably frayed, unsettled at the edges in I Appreciate Your Concern and the cold acidic blatz of Gone, whilst a turn toward Rashad Becker-esque tonal curdle in Surge and the sinking mini string symphony of Amo resolve the album at a more ambiguous angle.

This one really needs wider attention. Check!