Chicago’s Jason Garden (a.k.a. Olin) has had a fairly diverse output up until now. His 2012 EP with Co. Processing played around with electro-ish synths and italo basslines, which followed on from a deep number on Argot, while last year’s EP on Detour touched almost on techno. The genre-hopping has created mixed results, though his latest release on Giegling sublabel G~~g~~~g does nothing for those looking to nail down his identity as a producer.

Much like the first and only release on said sublabel (a split 12” by Ateq and Edward), From Iceland avoids hitting a serious note from start to finish. The title track is a full-bodied tune, a bit like Pantha du Prince on an unusually playful tip. Garden makes the work of one man sound like a sizeable ensemble, as bells chime, guitars are plucked and piano chords roll out, drenched in youthful cheer. On the flip, he taps into soul heritage, with an edit of The Stylistics’ 1971 hit “People Make The World Go Round.” It is the more club friendly of the two tracks (deployed in his set at last year’s smartbar Giegling showcase), with some straight-up house moments. Around the halfway mark, its strings fade out, and an echoing chorus clears the way for an overblown vocal sample and blissed-out trumpet fanfare. The bold crescendo verges on cheesy, though its audacity somehow saves it, likely to prompt a few cheeky grins.

Tracklisting:
A. From Iceland
B. People Fix

From Iceland is out now. Buy it at Clone.nl.