Moods is a producer from Rotterdam, Netherlands. He first came to our attention five years ago when he released an EP called Another Point of View on the Fremdtunes label. Over the years, he’s released some remixes, singles, and EPs, just leaving the elusive full-length album on his to-do list. Now he can finally check that off, now that he releases Zoom Out.

The full-length album can be a tricky endeavor for producers, for a couple of different reasons. The toughest part is the first decision about what type of album you’re going to make. Do you want to make a strictly instrumental album, do you want to make a vocal collaboration album, or do you want to make something in between? Then there’s always the difficulty of learning how to go from making beats to making fully formed songs to a fully formed album. It’s tough, to be sure, and there is a crowded field out there on top of that. This is all to say that I’d rather see a producer take five years to get things right than to rush things just to put an album out that’s mediocre. Moods might have taken his time to make this album, but he made sure he got things right by the time he released Zoom Out. With a style that weaves together downtempo, R&B, and house, he has given us a great pop album that is mostly full of vocal guests, but also features a few instrumental tracks that hold their own as well. If you live across the ocean from Moods like I do, you might not be familiar with names like Beau Nox, JAEL, Pip Millett, Damon Trueitt, James Chatburn, HIGH H00PS, Sacha Vee, Sam Wills, and Malia, but after listening to Zoom Out, you’ll want to know all of these talented artists. Now, when you have a roster this long on one album, it can be tough to get everyone on the same page to make an album that sounds coherent, and not just a random collection of songs. Credit goes to Moods for having enough understanding and finesse as a producer to create these songs that are varied enough to keep the album interesting, and to coax a performance out of each guest vocalist that was in conversation with the others. It all comes together for this soulful, moving, and nuanced album full of inventive production that takes you on a journey from start to finish, while remaining pop-friendly.

We knew Moods had talent years ago, it was just a matter of developing that talent and taking the time to get things to where they could be. When take the time to get things right, the proof is on the album, and Zoom Out delivers at a much higher level than most artist’s debut full-lengths. It’s instantly accessible, carves out a unique sound that is distinctly Moods, and it introduces you to a lot of new voices.