The Gasman - Controlled Hallucination (2018)

The Gasman ? Controlled Hallucination. Since being signed by Planet Mu in 2003, The Gasman has been prolifically releasing music. The Gasman's second album for Onomatopoeia and 19th overall, "Controlled Hallucination" finds the Portsmouth-based electronic auteur in a rich vein of form. Blending the slick 80s-inflected production of 2016's acclaimed "Aeriform" with a cross-section of his trademark skittering arpeggios, ethereal dream chords and restlessly inventive beats, "C.H." is at once a career highlight and a step in a new direction. A strong dancefloor focus (see opening banger "New Chair") takes turns with more introspective moments, and the extraordinary journey taken by album centrepiece "Wizards Sleeve" acts as a microcosm for the whole collection, four sides of relentless invention during which no musical stone is left unturned. An expansive, involving album, by turns mature and charmingly immature, sparkling with inspiration yet fully focused, "Controlled Hallucination" is a perfect entry point into The Gasman's unique sonic vision, sure to delight long-term fans and new heads alike. Award winning artwork by Charlotte Brisland.