Le New Life

Stockholm’s Axel Boman is practically synonymous with Studio Barnhus, the label he runs alongside partners in crime Pedrodollar and Kornél Kovács, but with *Le New Life*, he makes an unexpected appearance on Mule Musiq, a Japanese label that’s known for a particularly dreamy take on house and nu-disco. Fittingly, the Swedish producer has dialed down the goofy sense of humor that underlies so much of Barnhus’ output: These six tracks present a panoramic shot of Boman at his very deepest. “Slave to the Vibe” and “Don’t Bug Me” both sink back into pillowy grooves reminiscent of the slow-motion style once known as cosmic disco, while “Paid by the Rhythm” proposes an unusual fusion of Caribbean mallet percussion and modular synthesis. But the true heart of the record is found in its three longest tracks—“Chestnut Heartsprite,” “Copacabana Dub,” and “Konoba Boba”—in which Boman uses the extra runway to epic effect. The first and last of those particularly soar, with smeared loops of synth and sampled chicken-scratch guitars left to float like clouds at sunset. It really does feel like dancing on air.