It was just back in February of this year that Ipswich producer Sorrdes (fka Deadpoole) released his brilliant solo album, Strange Hymns. Now he’s back with a new EP that gives us a slightly different look, Moon Kissed.

If Strange Hymns was the grand statement, Moon Kissed is the understated release that allows Sorrdes some freedom to explore some different elements. Overall, it’s got this mellow, contemplative downtempo vibe to it, and it’s something that is best listened to closely on headphones, so you can appreciate all the subtleties contained therein. In other hands, these easily could have been another forgettable instrumental downtempo release that just fits into the formula but never goes anywhere. Sorrdes is not that type of producer, thankfully, and while it fits into this subgenre of music with it’s overall style, Sorrdes finds a lot of room within the five tracks of Moon Kissed to create a lot of variety, and to take some chances on different elements. On “Clumsy Lover,” he uses bass and saxophone to not just give the track substance and melody, but also to create a really sexy atmosphere as he leans into the jazz and R&B influences. However, he doesn’t stay there, but moves into a sci-fi house inspired groove on “The Great Big Nothing,” with its pulsing drums and eerie reverb-heavy synthesizer melodies. This transitions into “Bless Your Heart,” which is a gorgeous and minimalist downtempo track that samples “River of Sorrow” by Song Fei and transitions it into this really meditative hip hop context. These songs all sound great on their own, but what really makes the EP enjoyable is the way in which Sorrdes not just creates this variety but finds a way to make these different styles flow into each other. In doing so, you get a listening experience that challenges and rewards you, and will stay with you long after the EP is over.

Sometimes a five-song EP can be filler, and other times it can feel like a complete listening experience. Moon Kissed is much shorter than the full-length album it follows, but it’s not just an afterthought. Sorrdes spent the time to create some really interesting instrumental music with this EP, and it makes for a really great companion piece to Strange Hymns.