Cahl Sel surfaces a fresh collection of deep and deftly spun soul-tinged Techno on Johah Sharp’s Reflective
After briefly resurfacing from a long hiatus in 2022, the legendary Reflective imprint returns once more with another EP of heartfelt music from mysterious San Francisco based producer – Cahl Sel.
Founded in the early 90s by Jonah Sharp, his wife and a few friends. Reflective gave a home and platform to Sharp’s now foundational projects SpaceTimeContinuum and Reagenz, alongside material from the likes of Velocette, Kid Spatula, MLO and more. After going into hiatus in 1996 and returning briefly in 2003, the label surfaced once again in 2022 with a debut from San Francisco based producer and performer Cahl Sel. Conjuring up the now sought after ‘Every Moment’ EP, whether the wait was deliberate or not – it was certainly worth it.
Moving the dial to 2025 and Sel’s follow up takes the form of “Blue”, laying down another 4 tracks of traditionally woven techno that are all equally irresistible. Bearing a crafty finesse and shimmering lustre that really warms the soul as much as it offers a treat to scholars of vintage Electronics. All of the tracks are steeped in the origins of live hardware performance and then honed in the studio. The title track “Blue” on the A-Side sets the tone with a hypnotic house cut, led with pattering percussion that ushers in lush tones, all wrapped with a fuzzy air. Followed by the blissed-out, twinkling layered aquatic textures of “Focus” – the music grows and grows in stature as Sel masterfully builds.
Jumping to the B-Side and opening with an even deeper dive, the ethereal techno-inspired “Panoptic” conjures up the spirit of Drexciyan adventure to the pulse of a a bleepy SH-101 pulse, replete with haunting FM melody and bubbling synthesis. The final track closes out the EP with introspective ambience of “Wishbone”, a show of cascading arps that leave you wanting more.
Electronic music at it’s seductive best, bearing all the hallmarks of a true master waiting in the wings, ‘Blue’ will easily appeal to fans of Nuron, Silicon Scally, Morgan Geist, Dan Curtin and The Connection Machine. This is one you certainly do not want to sleep on!
