Origami Sound is fast becoming one of my favorite indie labels. Their choices are incredible and different in ways I’m only starting to appreciate.

A four-track joint, the EP is done by a Scotsman (allegedly) called Hostage. His take on lush, deep house is a surprising but welcome one. The tracks are groovy and possess an almost liquid quality. There’s a smoothness to them that evokes well dressed people in expensive neighborhoods looking cool while searching for meaning. Zephyrus starts out with this deep, round sound and keeps reminding me of a special kind of party. The one you’re not quite sure how you ended up or why you’re there, but you end up staying a while because it’s just a bit more chill than you expected, so there’s no need to rush.

Tuning Haze is a track that ebbs and flows between the worlds of deep, liquid and almost ominous. This track is so close to being techno I can taste it. Shine is a more chilled out tune that you’d expect to hear in a basement bar somewhere on the island of Manhattan while you overhear a drunken conversation in a language that’s not English. Its echoic, without being eery. Pickle is a deeper, almost trance-inducing joint that rounds out the tight EP nicely. These tracks are a must for any deep or tech house DJ in NYC, especially if you’re not trying to get your audience to fist-pump and break shit. Kudos to Hostage, and Origami Sound once again for pushing quality into my face.