Making his debut on the Singaporean Darker Than Wax, tape_hiss presents a deep and meditative dance record born out of the pandemic’s paradigm shift. Following up on previous releases on labels like Love Notes, Axe on Wax, Just Jack or Lost Palms, the New-Yorker solidifies his reputation as one of the deepest in the game in A Linear Progression. While those projects had its genesis in a kitted-out studio, driven by melodies and chord progressions, the tracks making up his new record are all built around one tool - the MPC 1000 - approaching his craft from new angles with stunning results.

The rediscover of the MPC 1000 and its limitations, inspired tape_hiss to delve deep into 90s sample techniques to draw drafts that later would be reworked in the studio. The culmination of this process was an entirely new take on the tape_hiss sound - dubby, euphoric, and exploring a wide range of tempos and beat patterns. Examples of this can be found on “W 4th Street (ACE)”, a spacey roller that’s not a club track, but would work equally well in that environment; or in “Energy Transfer” with its heavily 90s-inspired electro-not-electro vibe; and the genreless “Heartbreaking”, constantly moving its momentum upward, yet remaining an introspective cut. A Linear Progression is more of a mixtape than a club 12” record, marking a step forward in the producer’s musical growth. Available on vinyl, via Darker Than Wax.

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