Lowlandish transmissions from the land of a thousand lakes. It’s been 18 months since Samuel Van Dijk last donned the VC-118 alias. Back then, he was releasing sophomore album Shift Register on Tabernacle. Here, he resurfaces on Frustrated Funk with a five-track EP that tends towards the introspective and melancholy. Of course, there are still notable dancefloor moments – see the locked-in analogue house beats, dubbed-out electronics and held-note bass of “Permutation” and the mid-tempo electro swing of “Verdictia” – but for the most part the EP is a laidback and poignant affair. It’s a side of Van Dijk that we don’t see that often, but one that he really should explore more. Certainly, the ghostly “Enter” and sorrowful “Sequence” are among the most memorable tracks in his already impressive catalogue.

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