Sam Posner aka Sammy Bananas is a veteran "party maestro" who's supplied the clubs with a constant flow of fun, quirky, and funky jams. He takes on an interesting, more leftfield aesthetic under the "El Nino & the Southern Oscillations" moniker, however, and the eponymous EP, which he completed "in a seaside cabin watching waves crash against the rocky Maine coast," is a refreshing break from his usual dance sound. Citing Selected Ambient-era Aphex Twin as well as Larry Heard, Caribou, and Jamie XX as influences, Posner creates timeless, electronica-influenced soundscapes on the 5-tracker, and the musical approach works extremely well with the intention of the songs, described by the Brooklyn producer "as a meditation on the beauty and power of the ocean." Highlights include: "Inner Space," "Number Stations," and "Austerlitz." Cover art by visual artist Hisham Bharoocha.

• limited edition release
• music label: Innovative Leisure Records 2017

reviewed by marble cake floors 05/2017