On the heels of Why El Paso Sky, his sonically dense and turbulent EP from earlier this year, plus an adventurous double dip of digital/cassette releases with fellow ambient electronic amalgamists Sangam and Holly respectively, Austin’s VVV (Shawhin Izaddoost) dips back to his roots with intoxicating efficiency. Billed as the proper follow-up to Across the Sea from 2011, Shadow World finds Izaddoost awash in a bass-heavy future replete with some two-step garage generated through found sounds and instruments from his Persian heritage. Dance-floor-ready “Give It Time” and the punchy tech within “Local Anaesthetic” emanate directly from acclaimed (and secretive) British producer Burial’s atmospheric aural branching. “Circuit,” however, glimpses Izaddoost’s emotional depths through a gauzy sample of low-frequency Iranian strings, as if traversing through his consciousness. The dreamy synths and propulsive subs on “Fifth Ring” reign euphoric. Shadow World is a cutting and evocative near-classic.

****.5

This article appears in October 20 • 2017.

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Kahron Spearman is a journalist and writer with bylines including The Austin Chronicle, Austin Monthly, Consequence of Sound, Texas Highways, and the London-based journal The Break-Down. He currently serves as Senior Editor at Atmosphere TV.