Cold Busted presents Exquisite Spirits, the latest from D.Dahlinger, a self-described “Northern California-bred, Japan-based dusty dollar/yen bin loop digger.” The follow-up to 2016’s debut album Brisk Temps (and his appearance with Pigeondust on Cold Busted’s Only On Vinyl 2 compilation), Exquisite Spirits is another brilliant exercise in tough, boom-bap beats at meditative tempos and engaging sample source genre-clashes. D.Dahlinger’s influences are wide-ranging, with Paul’s Boutique and Paid In Full hotly tipped alongside psych-rock and shoegaze, as well as the attitudes of west coast skateboarding culture thrown in. A relocation to Japan also created noticeable inspiration, giving the music a wandering flavor that often feels like solemn exploration.

A prime example of D.Dahlinger’s distinctive sound is the curiously titled “B,” which dreamily combines glistening harps, compressed vinyl noise, and lovely piano over a solid beat foundation. There’s also the pensive build of “Color Scheme 13,” with a gentle flute that deceptively calms the listener before the approaching sonic storm; the molasses intro of “Wind Back Up” which increases in tempo to reveal an intricate construction of samples and melody; and the deft trip hop thump of “Anyone’s Out There,” featuring layers of D.Dahlinger’s trademark hypnotic embellishments. Exquisite Spirits lives up its name, being both haunting and hard-to-ignore ... beats designed for the ages.

1. D.Dahlinger - Rise Early (2:36)
2. D.Dahlinger - B (1:57)
3. D.Dahlinger - Faceslap Aspiration (2:10)
4. D.Dahlinger - Too Many Delectable Things (2:19)
5. D.Dahlinger - Color Scheme 13 (4:33)
6. D.Dahlinger - Drums of Dol (2:09)
7. D.Dahlinger - Wind Back Up (4:22)
8. D.Dahlinger - Distil (3:31)
9. D.Dahlinger - Anyone's Out-There (4:14)
10. D.Dahlinger - 2nd First Train (2:58)
11. D.Dahlinger - Mellolabye (4:46)