Exquisite Spirits

2018 release. Cold Busted presents Exquisite Spirits from D. Dahlinger, a self-described Northern California-bred, Japan-based dusty dollar/ yen bin loop digger. The follow-up to 2016's debut album Brisk Temps, Exquisite Spirits is another brilliant exercise in tough, boombap beats at meditative tempos and engaging sample source genre clashes. D. Dahlinger's influences are wide-ranging, with Paul's Boutique and Paid In Full hotly tipped alongside psych-rock and shoegaze, as well as the attitudes of west coast skateboarding culture thrown in. A relocation to Japan also created noticeable inspiration, giving the music a wandering flavor that often feels like solemn exploration. A prime example of D. Dahlinger's distinctive sound is the curiously titled B, which dreamily combines glistening harps, compressed vinyl noise, and lovely piano over a solid beat foundation. There's also the pensive build of Color Scheme 13, with a gentle flute that deceptively calms the listener before the approaching sonic storm; the molasses intro of Wind Back Up which increases in tempo to reveal an intricate construction of samples and melody; and the deft trip hop thump of Anyone's Out There, featuring layers of D. Dahlinger's trademark hypnotic embellishments. Exquisite Spirits lives up it's name, being both haunting and hard-toignore... beats designed for the ages.