V/A - Q1#1EP [Q1E2 Recordings]

Electronic music, at its best, offers a tantalizing glimpse into the future, capturing that moment of genesis where new worlds and genres emerge. The Amsterdam and Berlin-based label Q1E2, whose name stands for “quality first, ego after,” embodies this expansive promise on its new various artist compilation: a dizzying tour through the cosmic reaches of contemporary club sound highlighting the work of essential emerging producers from across the globe.

Milanese producer Jack Bags opens the journey with Natural Thing, an astral deep dance immersion of zero-G synth pads and skeletal dub percussion resonating in the void, as sultry vocal samples arrive like scattered transmissions from the stereo of a lost spaceship. datSIM’s Influx journeys through kaleidoscopic sci-fi landscapes, offering a futuristic reimagining of UK bass sounds with nimble organ melodics and a cinematic atmosphere. Mike Riviera and Marco Ohboy return us to a more earthly, ecstatic experience with the aptly titled Euphoria, a rough and ready rave bomb that rearranges classic house and garage elements into a potent modern club tool.

Elsewhere, a marked current of jazz flows, charting exciting new ramifications of the genre on and off the dance floor. Dr Sud’s Zaffiro is a hypnotic excursion that unfurls like a cosmic snake, with tessellated percussion and gliding sub-bass tracing intricate rhythmic geometries. A Soft Mist Production’s Upside Down Rainbows settles into the afters with smoky soul atmospheres and syrupy vocals hanging in the air like the vapor from the last lit cigarette. The Rabbit Hole’s Tail Groove closes the compilation with an unexpected twist: opening with bright lounge piano worthy of a Bill Evans record, the track quickly transforms into an intergalactic bass and breaks ride. The ingenious use of cello phrases adds an organic, earthy texture, a jazzy futurism that harks back to the sampled experiments of Photek or LTJ Bukem.

Taken together, this new compilation from the label offers a snapshot of an ever-evolving scene, taking the pulse of current electronica and finding it to be in excellent health.