For a 22-year-old, Briton Chris Ward, the lone soul behind Tropics, has absorbed his fair share of music made before he was even thought of. On Mouves, his second EP, a four-tracker for Planet Mu, Ward’s brand of gauzy, post-rocky electronic pop looks clearly in the direction of vintage Factory Records—”Celebrate” lightly mimics Durutti Column’s gorgeous guitar runs, while the title track harks back to The Wake’s gentle, but synth-heavy post-punk vibes. Of course, what this newcomer brings to those sounds is of utmost importance here, and it’s touches like the snappy snares on “Mouves,” which usher along a percolating, danceable synth line, Peter Hook-lite bass, and ethereal vocals, that make this such a forward-moving slice of electronic pop. Even Tony Wilson couldn’t have predicted the song’s slinky and icy remix from Keep Shelly in Athens, nor would he have imagined FaltyDL’s deep and vibey, almost Art of Noise-esque take on the track. But maybe what’s most surprising of all is that Planet Mu, the genre-defying record house run by Mike Paradinas, has decided to put out such an unchallenging (in a good way) release, so much in contrast with the label’s occasionally abrasive (also in a good way) experiments in sound. Either way, Mouves signals a exciting new direction for Planet Mu, and continues this promising youngster’s upward trajectory.