Aleph

Not to be confused with the late '80s Italo disco group of the same name, Aleph is a young, flashy producer who happens to hail from one of the most desolate places on the planet. On debut release Fourth Way, the Siberian-raised Ivan Erofeev demonstrates a remarkable understanding for the history (and histrionics) of electronic music, organically blending robotic sounds from '90s Detroit, London and Berlin with the sunny beats currently being cultivated by Scottish artists like Rustie and Hudson Mohawke. With each of the EP's four tracks hovering around the three-and-a-half-minute mark, Aleph manages to cram an impressive amount of genre-shaped ideas and familiar/alien sounds into the mix, all while keeping the core of each track fluid and danceable. Opener "Overheat" mashes Amen break drum patterns with nipped and tucked siren and whistle samples, while "Vodka on Patio" expertly evolves from noise experiment to funk takedown. Fourth Way works as a terrific showcase for a Siberian artist with a luminous future ahead of him.