Moderator is a producer from Αθήνα, Greece who has been rising quickly over the last couple of years, with stellar albums like The World Within and last year’s Sinner’s Syndrome. Now he comes back with a different sound and even more growth with his latest album, The Mosaics.

The first thing that will hit you about The Mosaics is that this album absolutely bangs. Moderator has delivered some really beautiful downtempo and hip hop, but on this album he’s bringing the party. He’s kicking the tempo up a notch, finding some great funky midtempo grooves, and then delivering some humongous drums that will make you want to turn up the stereo and start dancing. The really great thing about this album, though, is that you’re not sacrificing any of the subtleties of his previous work just to get the party started. Moderator is obviously a serious crate digger, and over the course of twelve tracks, he finds all sorts of interesting samples from all over the globe. It could be anything from the expected, like some old soul or psychedelic records, but it could also be a novelty record or a horror soundtrack. The point is that Moderator is delivering one of the most fun instrumental albums of the year, one that is funky as hell and extremely danceable, all while keeping you on your toes with his attention to detail. The songs are also well developed and catchy, making for an album that you can keep returning to and one that will stick in your head all day.

Few producers have given us as interesting and varied material as Moderator has over the last half of the decade. From incredibly nuanced and moving downtempo and trip hop, he’s now giving us some of the best funk and boom bap of the year, with a truly varied and international approach as well.