Udu vinyl

When it comes to the Sex Tags collective, the endless sprawl of monikers and aliases means that the real artist behind any one release could be just about anyone - even Sotofett or Fett Burger themselves. The Norwegians have truly created a catalogue that stands out from the rest over the last 10 years, and the Amfibia sub-brand is perhaps one of the more singular offshoots to come from their stable; instead of focussing on dance music, this imprint is reserved strictly for all things left of field. Vera Dvale's name has already popped up on a few Sex Tags joints, including one recent appearance for Sotofett's excellent Wania label, but Psykovarius is one we haven't heard before. Udu, this seven-track downtempo masterpiece, is a graceful abstraction into the deepest, most meditative corners of the synth world. But, crucially, this isn't some retro fest that attempts to recreate anything remotely 80s; the duo explore the vast frontier that is ambient, guided and framed in all sorts of sublime analogue keyboards that render it constantly surprising with each new listen. This is Sex Tags Amfibia.

James Welsh