Floorplan

This is the debut album from Floorplan, a moniker Robert Hood has been DJing under for some time, having released several EPs under that name. Intended as an outlet for the minimal techno pioneer's dance floor material, multiple surprising and cleverly integrated rhythms weave in and out of the four-on-the-floor pulse. It's in some ways a direct contrast, and continuation of, his more cinematic material under his name, namely last year's excellent Motor: Nighttime World Vol. 3. The "contrast" is that Hood's music of late has been conceptual headphone experiences and this is unmistakeably a dance floor album, while the "continuation" is due to this being imbued with that same optimistic attitude and deliberately textured minimalism. From the bold infectiousness of "Baby Baby" to the vocal-heavy gospel of "Never Grow Old" to the more typical minimal techno of "Chord Principle," Paradise is a record with a big personality that demonstrates how much your integrity as an artist informs your music and why that slippery qualification separates someone like Hood from the legions of lesser producers out there.