Various Artists – Fest I (Filament)

Dutch collective Filament launch a new label with an EP based around an imaginary all dayer where each track evokes a different time on the dancefloor

Shaped as a day-into-night party, Filament 001 is the titular Dutch collective’s inaugural label release. The tracks vary in pace and tone, yet the EP displays a clear through line. Like dropping in on a twelve hour DJ set at key – not merely peak – moments, listening to the record is a journey compressed but never compromised. Subsequent releases will follow the same conceptual pattern, yet the make believe events will presumably follow whatever paths take Filament’s fancy. As an idea it’s great fun and full of potential. Based on the first release, that potential is already being fulfilled.

Another first, the Filament Deejays mark their production debut with “1pm”. It’s a slyly confident piece of shifting, downtempo Balearic magic. As if certain vibes from Sabres of Paradise’s “Wilmot” have been extracted, minus the dub, and left to cure in the sun. It winds across European terraces, evoking Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar along the way. The sort of track that could infiltrate any dancefloor, from outdoor raves to shiny compact house clubs, inviting reverie and togetherness. Laid-back sampled vocals are punctuated with a brief sequence of acid bleeps before breaking down in dramatic form and easing home.

Monty’s “4pm” picks up the pace somewhat, settling into a shimmering house groove with a bassline that snakes and organic drums that scatter over the 4/4 kick. “8pm” and it is time for Møzaika. The lights drop and the psychedelics simmer up from below, bringing on spiralling house music that quickens the pulse and takes the mind to places unvisited. Deliciously repetitive with an adrift-in-space feeling, “8pm” sustains a mood until a mighty acid squelch breakdown blasts it open. Something like Jam and Spoon gone disco in 2019. “11pm” by Hysteric draws the EP to a close with an instrumental retro synth-pop workout boasting electro flair and neon cinematic vibes; a giallo take on Beverly Hills Cop perhaps. The record might be over, but the between-the-tracks imaginary night continues beyond dawn.