With a spartan touch, Moose returns us to the fundamental roots of vaporwave. These are some of the most raw, even primitive alterations that can be made by editing samples. The thing is, Moose is a brilliant artist. With audacity and aplomb, he alternately seduces us into nostalgic rumination, then prods us with a playful stutter or an abrupt shift, or surprises us with a surge of layered warmth. For those who don’t like vaporwave, Moose typifies the reasons they don’t. But for those of us who love it, Moose is a shining reminder of why we love it. Bold, experimental, fearless, cheeky… but also graceful and sentimental. This is what Moose brings to the table, and the results are marvelous.
Moose applies a spare hand to three introspective, nostalgic tracks that are both sentimental and haunting
Hearing how quickly his style has evolved and matured, one can not help but marvel at what he might do next. With this new EP, his longest to date, Moose brings his unique approach to a whole new level with a combination of ambient and hip hop, sublime sample edits and intriguing percussion. With a touch of whimsy and a dash of fatalism, we are greeted with both a sense of humor and a sense of foreboding. One never knows what Moose might do next, but one thing we can count on is that it will be deeply interesting and full of surprises. Don’t look away.
Originally self-published by the artist, this is a re-issue of one of Moose’s earliest efforts, and what a wonderful album this is; certainly among my favorites.
I love this album. Yes, it’s true that since this release Moose has evolved and matured immensely as an artist, moved on from File Under_ Records and has done/continues to do amazing work. I highly recommend y’all check out his Bandcamp for the latest. But there is an old-school charm to these earlier albums that is very dear to me. With his 2019 EP Error, his characteristically fearless edits of unlikely samples creates a lonely, yet charmingly quirky dose of nostalgia to sooth, delight, and maybe even tug the heart-strings a little. Full of gentle surprises, captivating melodies and odd timings, this album is always welcome on my playlist. It belongs on yours, too. You won’t regret getting to know these tracks well