Handbook is a producer from York who has been releasing music for over a decade. Throughout that time, he’s worked with artists like Supreme Sol, and he’s put out a lot of interesting instrumental music as well on labels like Cascade, Inner Ocean, and Hip Dozer. His most recent project was part of Ian Urbina’s Outlaw Ocean-inspired series of releases on Synethesia Music, Blurred Horizons. Now he’s back and making his debut on Loci with a new album, Glint.

Handbook likes to work with a mixture of analogue and digital techniques, often resampling himself in the process to create these layered melodic and rhythmic patterns in his compositions. The great thing about a project like Glint is that if you want to nerd out about this process and deconstruct the album, there are a lot of interesting layers to pull apart, and you can really marvel at the way Handbook weaves these different elements together, playing countermelodies off of each other and so forth. However, if you’re just someone looking for something beautiful and easy to listen to that would make for a really sweet and lovely soundtrack to an autumn day, Handbook also has you covered. That’s because Glint is easily accessible with its gentle grooves and memorable hooks, all which just ease into your ears and continue to grow on you with each listen. Handbook also does a great job of balancing some cool synthesizer sounds with some really warm basslines, which again helps the album really feel like a crisp autumn day where you can enjoy some time outside and then come in and have something warm to drink.

Glint is the type of album you love to see from a veteran artist like Handbook. It’s got loads of musicianship to it, and interesting techniques employed throughout, but it is also just lovely to listen to and will put you in a good mood as you listen through your headphones.