Audiopile Review: Montreal’s Adam Feingold dons his new Pondlicker guise for this debut mini album on NAFF, the imprint he’s co-run alongside Francis Latreille (aka Priori) since 2018. The two have worked on numerous projects together over the years; collaborating with several others on the New World Science project, dropping skewed beats as Planteaterz, and pushing drum and bass into the fourth world as Healion. But Feingold is surely best known for his solo work under his Ex-Terrestrial guise. While Ex-T has been somewhat quiet the past few years, with Feingold concentrating on his filmmaking, his new alias is a natural progression from the hazy house and lo-fi ambient-techno, issued on imprints like Pacific Rhythm, 1080p and Temple, that won us over in his earlier days. And even though he’s not working alongside Latreille on this project, the recent move of Priori into finely detailed, ambient-hued headphone electronica can be heard across the aptly titled Soft Focus. Flirting with dub techno, IDM and glitch, Feingold’s richly textured productions are dipped in a sensuous bloom of ambient vapours, connecting the five tracks here with a pulsating, heavenly warmth that’s over far too soon. Its a welcome return from on of our favourites, as well as what is hopefully the start of something special. Big recommendation.

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