Sunshine, Shadows and Luck is a snack sized album more akin to an EP but with more tracks but what it lacks in length it certainly makes up for in flavor. Mark Scanlan, the beat scientist behind Kobra Audio Labs, works out a series of tracks that possess a sort of dystopian, sci-fi funk. They can be often rubbery in sound but lurch about unexpectedly like the charmingly creaky “War All The Time” with its heavily chopped and spliced guitar line that stumbles through fields of lo-fi drums that stretch and snap or the psychedelic “Down To The Dozens” with its breathy flutes and vague steel drums floating in the background.

Parallels could be drawn between Kobra Audio Labs and DJ Shadow, Pete Samples, and DJ Spooky but Scanlan draws on a wider body of material than just the world of recombinant music. “In Opposition” sees him dipping a toe into a dirge like ballad that comes closer to the work of the psych-folk music found in the work of Guido Möbius and Bibio though in a more traditional manner. Brushing against Ambient soundscape is “We Have The Strength But We Don’t Have The Will” which floats on lazy synth pads and loping drum beats, a blissful head nodder that will have your eyelids dropping and a slow smile spreading across your face.

Overall, Sunshine, Shadows and Luck is worth grabbing; short but sweet. You can sample some free tracks at the Kobra Audio Labs website.

DaFluke’s Bad Timing EP was a CC Hits find for me buried somewhere in between tracks 60 and 70 of one evening’s listening the track “New Strut” had me perk up from my state of lassitude with its soft bursts of static and distortion providing a rhythmic backdrop for the burbling synths that envelope your head in warm snugness. It was change from the hard rock and occasional folk ballad that had preceded it and it fit well with the mood of that lengthening evening.

Lucas Granito, the name behind DaFluke, crafts songs that are little pockets of comfort. Instead of challenging the listener or becoming deeply involved in a narrative arc he writes pieces that evoke a general sense of calm but have a higher level of energy than either Ambient or Chillout music. Building on waves of synth pads “Somewhere In Us” relies on low-fi drum programming to provide momentum propelling the listener along on waves of sound. In contrast, “Can’t Wake Up” possesses a greater sense of urgency approximating the Detroit Techno sound popularized by Derrick May and builds a feeling of suspense by punctuating the track with vocal samples that sound as if someone is just about to speak but hesitated. It is that abstraction that lends the release a sort of IDM feel though it is more organic in nature and less processed sounding in execution.

Released in May of last year, Bad Timing was a something that would have completely escaped me if it were not for services like CC Hits and judging by the quality of work that Granito presents here I am eager to hear more. The EP can be obtained for free either at Archipel or Internet Archive. Recommended.

Children of the CPU are definitely hardcore DIY what with sole responsibility for the recording, producing, and distribution of Back To BASIC. They have made the album freely available on their website with the hope that you’ll like it enough to place an order for a physical copy at the low-low price of $12 CDN. Economic ethos aside, it is a refreshingly light electro-pop album where Veronica Rossos’ breathy vocals float over the decidedly retro and chip inspired beats of Cameron Shay, who also contributes some vocals himself. It is a warm analog sounding album, one where the album cover actually captures the spirit of the music from the Cocoa Krispies shag carpet, wood grained TV with actual dials dials and knobs, and Q*Bert on the Atari 2600. I feel a longing for my idealized childhood just looking at it.

“Closer Than You Think” is a poppy number with that bounces along on a decidedly New Wave bass line rounded off by swirling loops of synth arpeggios. It is track that is at home being played over headphones late at night while you lay on your bed staring up at shadows from the street lights flitting about on the ceiling. “Weeping Willow” follows the same trend except that it is built on beats that are more an IDM interpretation of Drum and Bass rhythms where they skitter about but are warm and fat. It also features a hushed duet that slowly works it way around the urgency of the guitar and synth arrangements.

If you like warm beats and dreamy melodies or are a fan of Ladytron, Husky Rescue, or Boards of Canada it is very likely you’ll enjoy Children of the CPU. Back To BASIC is a fun listen that is infused with a spirit of retro-futurism that imparts such a sweet flavor. Go grab it today.

Oh, and big ups to 3hive for finding and posting some tracks from this album. Without their Bloodhound Gang skills Back To BASIC would have flown way under my radar.