LPH's second release of the spring is also the NYC label's second split 12”. But instead of featuring a couple of sun-soaked L.A.-based outfits as with Cosmic Kids and Fingerpaint's Reality On The Horizon EP, label heads Nik Mercer, Jacques Renault, and James Friedman set out to Sweden to grab three tracks by M.D.C. (otherwise known as Muslim Disco Club) and Name In Lights, plus a remix by Studio Barnhus' Kornél Kovács.

The appropriately named Stockholm Stories EP kicks off with M.D.C.'s “Alma,” a sultry snake-charmer of a boogie built around a funky bassline that's equal parts Middle Eastern groove and disco thump. The Kovács remix is decidedly more  club-oriented—it prominently features police sirens and some very American vocal samples, including one by a certain Queen we all know well.

On the flip are two originals by Name In Lights, the production trio M.D.C. is a member of. “Curious Yellow” is a moody, deep house burner with an elastic bass and elegant synth washes throughout. “Blue Swede” runs with that vibe, but cuts to the chase, instead focusing on a more straightforward build, fortified with plenty of hi-hats and a bouncy, hypnotic hook that distorts your sense of time.

The record functions as a sort of dethawing agent helping us transition from the cold, severe, and dark winter into sunnier, brighter days ahead.