Alantic Vol. 2 - Astro Nautico Compilation

Another future-fantastic comp filled with some of out favourite Soundcloud personalities. The second installment of 'Atlantics' out now for free on the Austro Nautico netlabel, is a deliciously bright and playful collection of avant-garde beats and soundscapes from a very broad range of influences, post-hip-hop rollers, sampledelic experiments and even a tinge of juke. Like so many other equivalent comps, Austro Nautico are very grandiose in their aesthetic vision and attempt to "generally change the game" through their unique futuristic sound. The label that started with Obey City, Paul Jones and Kuhn (who contributed some of the tastier jams on the comp) now find themselves "unexpectedly surrounded by a whole community" of artists to become a "communal space for cross-all-borders creative interaction". But this kind of wide-eyed creative utopianism is part and parcel of all netlabel communities but the end results are too often worn down by the repetitiveness of the aesthetic themes and so cluttered with bells and whistles that one becomes desensitised to the original grandiose vision. 'Alantics' however, stays fresh and intriguing throughout its 41 track duration and is painstakingly well put together and, above all, fun. Also, not one fucking winding in sight. From moments of impossibly bright euphoria like Dreams's 'OooO' to fat dirty rollers like Kuhn's 'Child's Play', to footwork pressure from Dj Pyramid, and our mate Chits, to stuff that defies classification like Bauuer's 'My Head', I am at a loss. Overall Astro Nautico bring us a projection of the future in an unpretentious (though thoroughly idealistic) and enjoyable way, with its many unexpected twists and turns, amusing interludes and not to mention a pretty killer line-up, its a compilation that mimics the appeal of an album and doesn't lose itself in a fog of windingy, pseudo-progressive, piffle.