Fantasy

Jacques Greene's 2022 EP Fantasy contains some of the producer's most atmospheric material, drifting away from the tightly wound club tracks that have been his bread and butter since the early 2010s. Opening tune "Taurus" contains galloping breakbeats, breathy vocals, and glowing synths vaguely recalling Aphex Twin's ambient work, but glossier. "Memory Screen + Fantasy" starts out as a lush midtempo drift with sweeping drums and a voice repeating the word "softer," then unexpectedly turns into a trance breakdown that never arrives at a beat drop. "Sky River" is the only track on the EP with full vocals, courtesy of Japanese ambient folk musician Satomimagae. The deep, shuffling breakbeats cut out for a considerable period of tense stillness before booming back and building the song to an emotional crest. Final song "Leave Home" is the highlight, bearing a stronger resemblance to Greene's familiar method of wringing dancefloor drama out of an impassioned vocal sample. ~ Paul Simpson