Taragana Pyjarama

Last year, Danish producer Nick Eriksen released a gorgeously constructed self-titled EP under the name Taragana Pyjarama. The aptly titled EP standout, "Oceans," was a perfect example of how a driving beat could be used for more than just shameless club bangers. On Tipped Bowls, his debut LP, Erikson falls in-line with dreamy progressives like Caribou and Four Tet, generating ten new compositions that sound as beautiful as they do bouncy. Taragana Pyjarama's strength undoubtedly lies in his ability to layer squiggly lined melodies around a beat rather than over top. But, as demonstrated on the blip-y "All Those Weird Things" and the pop-locking "Bailbat Part 2," it's Erikson's method of arranging sounds that keeps Tipped Bowls from sounding homogeneous or dreary. Many would point to Kicki Halmos's wispy vocals on "Growing Forehead" as Tipped Bowls' high point, but it's actually the two minutes and 40 seconds before her voice comes in, where Erikson builds upon her initial pre-vocal breath, that perfectly describes Tipped Bowls' M.O.