8 Tracks: Of Water with Active Surplus

Music

Toronto duo Active Surplus are making waves, allow the pun. This month saw the pair release a new self titled EP via Pacific Rhythm, four tracks of exquisite house with intricate layering and percussive elements dotted throughout make it a highly likeable and danceable affair.

Active Surplus is the collaborative project from Evan Vincent (AKA Emissive) and Ian Syrett, who also appeared on this past winter’s fourth volume of “Rhythms Of The Pacific” released via the same label.

Throughout the release there are nods to sun kissed house music from the West Coast but there is also an intelligent blend of Baltimore club references dotted across the record.

We asked the duo to talk about some of the music with which they associate deeply. Like water…

See below:

Buy the new EP HERE.

LISTEN

Inoyama Land - Glass Chaim

Inoyama Land – Glass Chaim. Features Hosono’s custom-built system with three speakers and a subwoofer placed under water. Brings you to another place.

Inoyama Land - Glass Chaim

Inoyama Land – Glass Chaim. Features Hosono’s custom-built system with three speakers and a subwoofer placed under water. Brings you to another place.
Hidden Valley Logging Company - Miami (Extended Detour)

Have to shout out the homie! Cameron Everatt AKA Hidden Valley Logging Company. I like how wet and misty the effects are on this track. Like spelunking in a dank drippy warehouse.
Drexciya - "Depressurization"

Drexciya – Depressurization. Can’t forget the underwater masters, elemental funk.
Actress - Holy Water

Actress – Holy Water. A textural standout from Actress’s 2012 life-changing, after-death odyssey R.I.P. This track feels like all the matter in your body is being digitized and uploaded into the AI soul data-pool for polyphasic quantum consciousness preservation.
Flørist - Marine Drive (Internal Dub)

Flørist – Marine Drive (Internal Dub). Having never visited Vancouver when prior to hearing this song, Evan couldn’t help but imagine that this was the vibe there at all times. After he finally made it out west he couldn’t get this song or this feeling out of his head. The carefree floating sensation followed him everywhere. There’s just something about being by the ocean.
Kyle Hall - Ghosten

Kyle Hall – Ghosten. “Get in the boat, we’re going round by Zug Island to communicate with extra-terrestrials.”
Dj Krush - Ryu-Ki (Rare Track)

DJ Krush – Ryu-Ki. This is what Ian’s teenage canoe trips in Quebec sounded like.
William Basinski - Watermusic Ii

William Basinski – Watermusic II. A submersible meditative dive to escape quarantine life.