“Origin” by Studio

Despite their relatively small output, Sweden’s Studio — the duo of Dan Lissvik and Rasmus Hägg — cast a long shadow with their decade of activity. Case in point: 2007’s Yearbook 1 compilation garnered widespread acclaim with its unique spin on Balearic house music, with Pitchfork calling it one of that year’s best albums.

Even with all of that acclaim, though, Studio’s music can be hard to find. For starters, none of their releases are currently streaming on any major platform like Apple Music or Spotify. Fortunately, the good folks at Ghostly International are addressing that with their upcoming reissue of Studio’s debut (and only) album, 2006’s West Coast. (The label has also posted a lengthy essay that delves into the album’s origins, production, and legacy.)

Thanks to its pulsing rhythms and stomping bass, “Origin” certainly resembles dance music. But its sonic palette is far more diverse: guitar melodies that veer between ragged and dreamy, droll vocals, layers of percussion, and so on. It’s clear that for all of their discothèque influences, Lissvik and Hägg never felt beholden to any dance music template.

West Coast will be reissued by Ghostly International on January 24, 2025.