groove 15 by DYL

groove 15 is the final release in a series dedicated to attempts to combine ambient with footwork and 160bpm. The person responsible for closing this three-cassette series is Romanian producer Eduard Costea, known as DYL. In his work, he creates minimalist drum & bass structures, which he combines with illustrative music and atmospheric ambient. However, he does not limit himself to these aesthetics, freely changing tempos and moods. DYL's tracks have appeared on the catalogues of labels such as re:st, UVB-76-Music, One.Seventy.

The A-side of groove 15 starts with a gentle drone breeze, followed by a booming and soft pulse. The rhythmic feel is light and relaxed, and the looped crackles playing in the background do not disrupt the harmony of the first part of the track. In the second section, more sounds appear, gradually increasing the experience in breadth and intensity. In the central part of the piece, the rhythm stops its momentum and an impressionistic play of sonic details begins, after which the producer launches into a finale full of emotion and affirmation.

groove 15.2, on the other hand, operates with a different sound palette than the production on the first side of the cassette. The looped intro of the track, which is reminiscent of Murcof productions, is enriched by a sparse beat. It is around this that DYL builds the narrative and includes new layers of sound. In the second part of the track, melancholic looped strings are broken by a half-step rhythm. The whole is topped off with a gentle murmur of reverb.

On both sides of the cassette, the Romanian producer builds up the moodiness of the tracks with an extraordinary sense of sensitivity. The rhythmic structures revolve around drum and bass, but this is done through subtle allusions and avoidance of directness. The choice of sounds has been subordinated to an illustrative formula and the abandonment of sharply chiselled blocks of sound, allowing the listener to focus on discovering the details hiding in the background. After releases by Skip Club Orchestra and Automatisme testing the aesthetic possibilities of ambient and 160 bpm, DYL's cassette brings more respite and breathing space, crowning the series with tracks set at the intersection of minimalism, neo-classical and drum and bass.

outlines is a searching label. It starts with Chicago Footwork and aims at new forms, outlines and intuitions.

guides, is the more frivolous branch of outlines, where releases are characterised by greater freedom of form.

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