Rumbling through the jungle with the drum and bass, Protokhal fuses those 90s electronic sounds with the accouterments of the Asian underground. These tracks are ruled by the beats, but it's the blips and samples that really provide the texture.

Protokhal Sugarcane EP (Snakes x Ladders)

This is the first multiple-track release for this Victoria, B.C., producer. And while the flow does hearken back a couple decades, this is a modern set. More a restatement than homage, these tracks have a slyness that adds nuance.

Easy to like. These tracks prick up the ears at first beat and then find their grooves almost immediately. Not particularly dense, each element is given room to breathe and operate. A very assured first set. No rush, but I'll have more whenever it's ready.

Jon Worley