Browsing through
Euglossine's discography is like taking a whirlwind vacation which touches upon dozens of different worlds. Just in the first few years of the 2020s, he's explored utopian virtual soundscapes (
Psaronius), ethereal jazz fusion (
Some Kind of Forever), and gentle acoustic guitar ruminations (
Strawberries in Rain). Acknowledging the multiverse-like complexity of his output, the Gainesville, Florida-based musician's second
Hausu Mountain release is titled
Bug Planet Is the Current Timeline. The album places a heavier emphasis on jittery beat patterns and playful melodies, with pristinely sculpted modular synth sequences framing the lush artificial landscape, and jazzy pianos and gliding guitars providing color and textural balance. Several tracks draw from bass-heavy dance music, particularly the gently breakbeat-driven "Ice Gel," which reveals its intricacy with closer listening. The slippery beats of "Salt" recall the wonkier side of dubstep, while "Mindgame" edges towards fractured drum'n'bass. The beats become slightly more smoothed out on later tracks, including the gorgeous "Sunflower People," which recalls the aquatic electro of
Drexciya. One of
Euglossine's most illuminating works,
Bug Planet Is the Current Timeline views club culture from a different vantage point than anyone else, and translates that energy into a unique, fascinating form of its own. ~ Paul Simpson
