Łukasz Seliga needs little introduction to anyone even roughly following Poland’s dance and electronic underground, as his contributions – as a live performer, producer, remixer or DJ – embellished the better part of its story. Between his solo endeavours under the SLG moniker, and projects such as Casiopepe or Seltron 400, he has long traversed genres and sounds, aptly and joyfully, always staying true to his distinct musical vision rather than being prompted by periodic shifts of fancy.
On Sideways, his newest EP outing for Trance-Atlantyk, Łukasz appears under his own name – Seliga – for the first time, thus restating his identity and underlining the honesty of his craft. In a time when dance music tends to be driven increasingly by nostalgia, Seliga takes but a sip, ultimately eschewing it. As a result, the music we hear is more of a direct expression of his own abiding purpose – a lived, rather than re-lived experience, an auditory utopia, sung in a language the artist is deeply anchored in, but whose expressive qualities he seeks to enhance, and not simply exploit.
Across the EP’s four tracks we are treated to impeccable, entrancing house riddims – masterfully executed, with subtle, yet meaningful nods to dub and ambient, and echoing inspirations such as The Orb, Andrew Weatherall’s remix work and the early Warp catalogue. Driving and soothing, kinetic and cordial, refreshing and utterly danceable, these four tunes succeed in conveying a unique sense of the melanphoric – and this is precisely what makes for their delicious seligability.