DISPLACER: Spirit Guide     DL   Crime League

A retro sounding bass synth pattern opens up this latest EP from Toronto’s Displacer.  Somewhat reminiscent of some of John Carpenter’s works, mixed with a touch of the opening theme to ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Ectenic Force’ slides gracefully into ‘Killer’; which is co-produced with Chase Dobson.

Arpeggiated electronics permeate the entirety of this five-tracker and are solidly layered in Michael Morton’s trademark beds of synths and warm, beat-driven programming genius.  The title track (co-written with Snowbeasts) offers a ghostly, drifting apparition of choral effects and slabs of ethereal sensibility; that’s sits well placed between ‘Manifestations’ and the 80’s soundtrack web of intrigue, that is ‘Visions’.

Prolific as ever, Morton is a busy man that never stops giving his listeners ear candy, with strings of downloadable EP’s alongside his full hard copy releases.  I would have loved to see this on vinyl, or at least, compact disc; but I am more than grateful to get to hear these tracks on a relatively frequent basis if those options are not available.  If anything, they keep his project ever relevant.

9/10