Bahian Coastal Highway

Initially released as a green marbled vinyl LP in 2005, Bahian Coastal Highway was the second full-length by a Colorado-based electronic trio named Multicast. The album blends relaxed, downtempo electronic grooves with soothing guitar lines that hint toward genres such as surf, spaghetti Western, and exotica. The leisurely tempos and dubby ripples of echo make the album ideal listening for a scorching summer day spent lying in a hammock underneath palm trees while vacationing in the tropics. "Hawaii" naturally features sliding, slack key-styled guitar, and the gentle strumming of "El Sid" feels closer to flamenco. "Underdub" and "Pucuna" are both deep dub excursions, twisting freaky effects around pulsating kick drums. There's enough eeriness to prevent this album from sounding like any of the millions of generic chillout compilations flooding the market — "Departure" tips from being chilly to somewhat spooky, and beatless closing track "Rotation" is a slightly unsettling end to this trip to paradise. Bahian Coastal Highway is a unique, refreshing album of organic, non-abrasive IDM that instantly transports the listener to a sunny destination.