Loscil’s Sine Studies 1, like Cliff Martinez‘ soundtrack to the film Drive, pulsates with a fluidity and minimalism that seems to emphasize the backdrop with which it is set. Both sides A, “Elements,” and B, “Unit Circle,” are amorphous tracks composed entirely of sine waves, and that the 7-inch is successful in spite of its bleak landscape is due entirely to the masterful restraint with which the artist, otherwise known as Scott Morgan, has assembled the pieces.

The concept, that each long-drawn drum hit and chimey synth melody stem from the same waveform, is the perfect fit for a 45-rpm single. Each side paints a poignantly blank canvas with which to splatter the listener’s imagination or mood onto, and it is in this hollow space that Sine Studies 1 finds meaning.