Lost in a kaleidoscopic groove with SONNS & The Mole

New track 'Tropic' stands out from an intoxicating EP release

Words by Rocco Universal.

Machine Limited label owner and producer SONNS recently welcomed long-serving producer and underground burrower The Mole into his LA studio for a two-day recording session. The most fruitful workout led to the creation of their brand new and cosmically-charmed 'Space Machine' EP.

Canadian artist Colin de la Plante, aka The Mole, has been releasing fine music on labels including Internasjonal, Perlon, Ostgut Ton, and Wagon Repair for the best part of two decades, and here he finds a home on Machine Limited for the very first time. SONNS is no slouch in the studio himself, having released work on benchmark labels Kompakt and ESP Institute, so it should be no surprise that the duo's collaboration ended up being something to savour. Title track 'Space Machine' blasts off into wigged-out astral realms. Tides of rhythmic layers undulate over a growling bass as vocal slices permeate to elevate the groove, and all the while dream-inducing pads rise and fall to create a hazy cosmic fog. The dub version retains the original's key elements, stripping things back enough to allow tripped-out delays to fill the empty space. 

I've opted to feature closing track 'Tropic' here, after being utterly absorbed by it while road testing the EP on a balmy Bangkok night earlier this month. The low-slung chug epic rolls organically but with purpose, as rhythmic parts harmonise and the infectious synth hook opens and closes, expands and unfolds. Distant vocals and endless sweeps fill the broad panorama, and – perhaps key to the track's magic – the percussive licks provided by Gonzalo Torres Sr. help retain attention from the first bar to the last. 

SONNS & The Mole 'Space Machine' is out now, you can buy it here