Various artists

place : vancouver

Like any compilation worth its salt, place : vancouver has diversity strewn all over its 20 tracks. For some, the Vancouver electronic “sound” is often pigeonholed to a particular brand of woozy house, but there’s always been far more at play in the city, and this release is a prime example of that.

If you’re looking to get your nodes drenched in liquid-black techno, then Queensyze, Truant and the Automatic Message have you covered. If the vast expanse of a 10-minute ambient space walk is more up your alley, then Segue and Montane District will happily oblige. Taal Mala’s “The Dancers at the End of Time” is a Technicolor tea party of IDM and jungle breaks that’s just too much fun to not play on repeat. “Puppa” by Joel West is another clear highlight, albeit a much more restrained one. It’s a delightful slow-groover, straddling the thin fence between house and techno perfectly.

There are, of course, many others. Mentioning all of them would be a bit much, but suffice to say, there are gems aplenty on here. One slight problem is that, given the sheer array of styles, the transitions can be a tad jarring; as pounding rhythms disintegrate into ambient pools at a moment’s notice, your brain might be left unsure as to what’s going on. Fluidity isn’t the goal here, though — this about displaying some of the fine talent that Vancouver has to offer. And, in that regard, they’ve done a heck of a job. (Air Texture)