Christ.: Vernor Vinge

Benbecula, 2006

In anticipation of Christ.’s upcoming album Blue Shift Emissions, Benbecula is issuing a limited-edition vinyl-only EP. The title track is a sweet downtempo melodic piece reminiscent of Boards of Canada. Crunched hip-hop beats, a bittersweet analogue synth line, and distressed samples of children form the perfect soundtrack for a fading photograph. The other three tracks are exclusive. There’s “One Sunny Cloudy Day,” where simple synth patterns emerge from a crackling record as it changes speed. It’s quite short. On the flip is a Prhizzm remix of “Happyfour Twenty.” Layers of melodic bits occasionally clash over a plodding beat. Distortion makes parts sound like an old cassette tape. “Ray Breakout (dDamage Remix)” sounds like an NES game but for its intricacy. A pretty melody makes the song soar. This 12-inch is likely to tug at the heartstrings of listeners who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s. There aren’t that many artists who can inspire nostalgia with new music.