Project Pablo | Basic EP [HYB015]

Vancouver-based producer Patrick Holland, formerly known as 8prn, has made his debut on Hybridity Music under a new moniker– Project Pablo . While 8prn’s output blurred the lines between dance and headphone music, with this new project, Holland sets his sights squarely on the dance-floor. His distinctive drum programming, particularly with respect to the notes that he decides to leave out, conveys his unwillingness to stick closely to conventional rhythm patterns.

“Holdin’ On” offers a funky interplay between warm analog square-wave oscillators with low-pass filters and just the right amount of resonance, spastic lead stabs, soft mournful girlish vocal snippets doused in reverb, sparsely spaced kicks, and a flurry of crispy shakers and claps.

“Boat” exudes cheeky dark warehouse illegal rave vibes right from the first bar with its manic chord progression. The track’s momentum launches as a disjointed driving 909 groove and a big square-wave lead drop into the mix. A speech sample exclaims “so what are those issues? – how can we address those issues and prevent people from becoming more vulnerable.” Half-way through the track, the emotional tone of the track changes when the ravey chord stabs fall away, a new lead line is introduced, and a bittersweet arpeggio fades into the mix.

If these tunes resonate with you, cop the bonus track “Toothpaste” for free download via XLR8R.