“Passing (remaster)” by Martin Jarl

There’s not much information about Martin Jarl on the interwebs beyond an Instagram page that’s primarily videos of him coaxing a variety of dubby textures from his samplers and sequencers. (Oh, and his cat makes the occasional appearance.) But I get the distinct impression that Jarl’s a pretty chill guy, an impression that’s further borne out by his latest title, In the Dark.

Clocking in at just over half an hour, the album’s seven tracks are filled with bass pulses, shimmering synth notes, and fluttering textures bathed in light layers of reverb and delay. It’s all uniformly enjoyable precisely because it’s so laidback and unassuming. But “Passing (remaster)” is doubly so as it eschews the dub to focus almost exclusively on the shimmer and flutter.

If you’ve ever wondered what Steve Roach’s Structures From Silence might sound like if some beats drifted through its contemplative expanse, then Martin Jarl’s got an answer for you, and it’s absolutely lovely.

In the Dark is currently available from Djuphavet Recordings.