Dream City - Forward EP (2017)

New York's C. Perez and London's S. Deelay are Dream City, a new duo responsible for Blankstairs' latest record of loose and layered sounds. The two producers have collaborated before, on 2014's Rave Shadow, for Perez's label Pastel Voids. But that release, with its drowsy lo-fi haze, seems almost rudimentary compared to the flushed and feel-good attitude on Forward.

The EP features four Dream City tracks and two reworks: one by the likeminded Max McFerren and the other by Perez's techno alias, Metropol. Each original has a sweltering, slightly strange atmosphere, with plump club rhythms knocking away underneath. "Down 2" is a quivering techno track led by dusty piano chords, while "Palms" and "Hopeful Visions" are more psychedelic, filled with melting pads, clipped vocal echoes and pitched-down beats. On "Forward," the mood switches to funky and bright, a feeling the two remixes continue with even stronger results. McFerren's take on "Hopeful Visions," with its fat drums and easygoing groove, is a juicy party track, and Metropol's charged version of "Down 2" has blissful piano riffs that make it soar.