Strong EP of emotive electronics from Belgian wunderkind on Apollo AMyn AKA Niels Blondeel delivers a 7 track bumper collection of his singular song craft - combining aching melodies with lush, expansive production and sound design.

Self taught with a heavy emphasis on sound design and atmospherics, Blondeel’s acclaimed initial dancefloor explorations soon found a more natural fit in the introspective tracks herein, and a perfect compliment on the Apollo roster, nestling alongside the likes of Synkro. The fruits of his labour are now richly delivered on the ‘Best Heard..’ EP.

Combining a cinematic sensibility with melancholic harmonics is Amyn’s true gift - witness the slow burn percussive pulse of the opener and title track - winsome vox cruise over the richly woven blanket of synth chords, and gently clanking sound design perc building to a fluttering climax. Other highlights include the desiccated minimal funk of ‘Side Of Golden You’ - soul-burning chords and hazy vocal tones bounce atop the bumping rhythm track, and majestic collab ‘Youniverse’ featuring the dulcet vocals of Alex Nelos, set against AMyn’s shimmering soundscape of synths and percussion. Closing track ‘Turn’ is perhaps the thematic core of the record - an epic electronic torch song, all yearning vocals and skying prophet chords that manages to conjure grandstanding emotion without resorting to needless bombast.

Blondeel is always refining his sound - his only goal to evoke emotions through musical storytelling, it’s clear that on that level the ‘Best Heard In Shadows’ EP is a resounding success.