sebastopol: gahalowood

French sound-smith Sebastien Bouchet returns to Kompakt under his new moniker Sebastopol. Gahalowood seamlessly merges Bouchet's leftfield sensibilities and unlikely riffs with a strong dancefloor drive. "Gahalowood" gets things off the launch pad quickly, thanks to its stoic kick drum and surging synths -- the vocals evolve from atmospheric swabs of texture to full-blown early '80s new wave mumble-core. "Flash Pool" deploys an intimate groove with whispering upfront, but takes an unexpected turn into psychedelic cowbell territory with feral bleeps and growing hooklines. "Heaven" presents a comparatively straightforward house arc, while still sniffing out some trippy goodness.