DECAS by Salvatore Mercatante

Thanks to the excellent Subexotic label, I'm now aware of the accessible, IDM-inflected music of Salvatore Mercatante. The New York-based musician has been using and abusing synthesisers since 2007 (at least) when he combined Hip-Hop beats with famous spaghetti western tunes on Spaghetti. More than a dozen releases later, whether his focus was mutant beats, Ambient moods, Electro-flavours or glitchy rhythms, his keen ear for emotive melody has remained true throughout.

With personal challenges like struggles with memory, anxiety, the passage of time and feelings of inadequacy, new album DECAS presents a melancholy picture, with one eye on a hypothetical future, manifest through the tasteful use of Sci-fi samples (à la 90s Ninja Tune) and bassy rhythms. It's a moody affair, dark and contemplative.