Manchester producer Mecca:83 has been doing his thing all decade long, carving out a little niche for himself along the way with some great soulful and jazzy beats. The last time we heard from him was last September, when he delivered Life Sketches Vol. 3, which served as the soundtrack to the all the changes in the last five years of his life. Now he comes back with something with a bit lower stakes, Midnight Radio.

When you’ve released an album like Life Sketches Vol. 3, which not only was a musical undertaking but also a representation of a lot of life changes that happened over the last few years, it can be a little daunting to follow that up. The way that Mecca:83 has handled that is by lowering the stakes and just getting back to basics. There’s no grand theme or representation to the project, just a simple late-night soundtrack with six straightforward songs to it. It’s not the type of release that’s going to blow you away, but it will invite you in to just chill out and enjoy some good vibes. Mecca:83 has a great feel for some jazzy downtempo beats with smooth upright bass lines and some tight brushed drum work, usually relying on Fender Rhodes for his melodic element. We get a few collaborators such as brothermartino, Marak, and K, Le Maestro, but these are co-producers who are helping Mecca flesh out his arrangements, not providing anything too flashy. While this isn’t too much more than an instrumental downtempo release, Mecca:83 does take the time to make these fully formed compositions that build and develop and connect with the other songs on the EP, providing enough interest to not just fade into the background, but giving your mind something to get the wheels spinning and letting yourself wonder about whatever thoughts it is that pop into your head in the middle of the night. It sounds easy on paper, but it takes more of an effort than a lot of people realize.

Midnight Radio won’t be the standout in his catalogue as we look back on his career, but it is the type of release that shows the level of care and musicianship that can go into what might look like a placeholder on paper before his next album drops. Mecca:83 didn’t make his name by releasing half-assed beat tapes, though. He made his name with really thoughtful and soulful compositions, and that’s what you get on this EP.