Hungary-based producer Balazs Semsei (also known as Elbow Room) makes his official debut as Norwell on Montreal's Shabu Recordings. I Kissed The Sun is a warm EP coloured with buzzing analog synthesizers and arpeggios that flutter in and out of consciousness; Norwell's hyper-melodic layering on the EP creates dynamic atmospheres of varying Kraut-like sounds.
The EP's title track, "I Kissed The Sun", is an immediate standout on the EP, drawing listeners in immediately with its jovial nostalgia, which provides the chief melodic theme for the basis of the song. End-to-end, "I Kissed The Sun" is a journey of sun-tinged emotion that provides optimism in even the darkest of times.
Other highlights on the EP include "Lost and Leaving", which sees Norwell demonstrating his skills in a more dance-friendly context; the gliding synthetic themes are smashed to pieces in a lengthy psychedelic breakdown, only to be quickly reassembled into their former arrangements while continually building forward momentum. Additionally, the unpredictable driving sounds of "Untitled" will leave listeners in a momentary daze of turbulent psychedelia that is slowly restored as the EP progresses.
With remixes from Montreal's Groj, fellow Hungarian S Olbricht, and a fantastic rework of "Lost and Leaving" from UK-based Budapest producer Imre Kiss, I Kissed The Sun comes highly recommended.
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