Zepeda is a producer from Portland, Oregon who has been releasing music since the mid-2010s. Over the years, he’s worked with artists like akamato, and he recently produced several tracks for OKnice’s most recent album, Have You Tried Being Happy? Now he’s releasing a short instrumental project, Private Passageway.

A lot of the times, when you see a release like this on paper, it looks like a beat dump. Some producer is just clearing out his hard drive, and here’s about fifteen minutes worth of unfinished beats that sound okay. Every once in a while, though, you come across a talented artist like Zepeda who releases a project like Private Passageway. Just a short moment into the project, you’ll quickly realize that these are not unfinished beats, but really thoughtfully composed instrumental pieces with great melodic work, nice grooves, and enough development to really grab your attention. It’s light, breezy, and jazzy, but it’s also clear that Zepeda really put this together with care, not only with the way that each track stands out, but also the way that everything flows together from start to finish. It will make for a beautiful soundtrack on your headphones when you walk around with a cool autumn breeze sweeping across your path.

Private Passageway didn’t need to be as good as it was, but when you’re working on the level that Zepeda is, even a short project like this can be impactful. It’s beautiful, soulful, and musical, crafted with a loving touch.