The Seattle bass-music wunderkind known as Kid Smpl has had a very busy past two years. He’s released a slew of EPs (Ghostsuit, a split with Daega Sound, Collapse, and Digital Hands, among others), a bevy of remixes, and he even has a few videos tucked under his belt. But the 21-year-old beatsmith born Joey Butler isn’t one to take a break; he’s got a new five-track digital release called Escape Pod dropping on August 7 through Seattle radio DJ Alex Ruder‘s newly launched Hush Hush label. Kid Smpl has often mentioned the music of Burial as a major influence on his sound, and on Escape Pod‘s opening title track, the similarities shine through, as slow, muted percussion crawls beneath a bed of graceful atmospheric strings. “Escape Pod” sets a sparse and ethereal stage for the rest of the young producer’s EP, which includes three other original cuts and a strangely upbeat remix of “Pulse” by WEDIDIT Collective associate D33J.

Escape Pod