Since releasing their first tape just over a year ago, 1080p Collection has proven to be a adventurous trying ground for experimental bedroom producers from this city, as well as other parts of our hyperconnected world. From the more recent side of the the label’s steady stream of releases comes Moondance, a debut from an Ottawa-based producer, choosing to preserve some sense of anonymity under the moniker Riohv.

“Jus Relax,” is a dreamy piano chord driven jam. It provides a bit of introduction to the tape and together with its apt title, is a helpful suggestion to listeners. From there, Riohv dives into murky clouds of lo-fi ambience, guiding listeners into highly introspective places with the groove of rubbery 303 basslines.
While the canonical sounds of drum machines and acid basslines place it within a familiar context in the world of electronic music, there is a playfulness with which the tracks on Moondance unfold. This playfulness sets the album apart while giving it coherence. Loosely structured, yet snappy percussion leads a dazzle of moody, delay-drenched chords on “Kickflip 50-50,” while the following track throws you into the grip of a tight and catchy groove. Throughout the album, Riohv’s strength is his ability to craft engaging atmospheres with rich textures and bleeding colours while balancing a sense of space with a mildly claustrophobic lo-fi touch.
Moondance is an attempt to revisit the spirit of euphoria from the acid house movement that sparked and smoldered in the UK at the end of the `80s. However, the frantic high tempo rave anthems here, are reimagined in a slowed, subdued, and very melancholic light. The Moondance experience is less like losing all inhibitions and dancing till daybreak in a cold field, and more like digging pensively through the movement’s history in 360p quality from the coziness of home.