Producer Daniel Goldstein has been releasing music out of Denver, Colorado as Lane 8, receiving critical acclaim for work released with Anjunadeep before launching his own label This Never Happened. He returns in 2020 with this collaborative EP, teaming up with a host of big names to create a 7 track record.
First track And We Knew It Was Our Time sees him work with Massane on a progressive house track with a real ambient quality. A slow starter, the gentle arpeggiated synth melody is present throughout, as the track develops into a huge dance track during the middle section. OTR is the partner of choice for the second track, Shatter, a synth- and piano-laden number which again builds slowly, before bursting into life at a minute-thirty.
The third track, a collaboration with former Anjunadeep label-mate Yotto, is Buggy. It jumps straight in with a four-to-the-floor beat and another ethereal arpeggiated synth line which ebbs and flows throughout the track, receding just slightly to allow focus on other elements before taking center stage yet again. Next is Run with trance producer Kasablanca. Starting with an echoing, stabby melody which soon deepens to become the bassline, the vocal line takes this track into a different territory from those before it. The track is enduring and unrelenting, the fast melody and huge, wide synths making this a real dance anthem.
Onto Matcha Mistake, this time with Kidnap, we’re treated in the beginning to a huge and thumping kick and snare, with an unpredictable brassy melody over the top. This soon develops into a range of beautiful chords which add a huge amount of harmony to the minimal instrumentation.
Roll Call with Anderholm is a great, driving house track, with a persistent bassline and catchy melody overlaid with vocal samples. Finally, Hexlogic joins the party, putting together a deep, minimal techno track which brings down the tempo, and offers a perfect understated end to the record.
A great EP with a nicely varied set of tracks and a long list of collaborators, Cross Pollination blurs the lines between multiple genres in a way that is difficult to do whilst still putting together a cohesive album. It’s a fine listen, and one which will appeal to many listeners outside of Lane 8’s usual house crowd.
