Essáy, a self-proclaimed crafter of “emotional” electronic music, has released a number of worthwhile (and mostly free) tunes over the course of 2011, but the collaboration between the German producer and UK resident Stumbleine—another producer who’s not afraid to get in touch with his softer side—is perhaps the most emotive offering to come from the Essáy moniker to date. “Rhiannon”—which, yes, does sample the Fleetwood Mac song of the same name—comes close to being worthy of a “chillwave” categorization, yet still somehow eludes it, trimming the superfluous bells and whistles (well, maybe not the bells) that usually define the sun-drenched, bliss-hop vibes of the blogger-friendly genre, and instead focusing the attention on superb production, rich tones, and really rewarding songwriting. That’s not to say that the tune doesn’t tap into the blissed-out warmth you’d expect from this pairing, just that it comes across in a much more refined package than you might expect, and is much, much better for it.

Essáy & Stumbleine – Rhiannon

Rhiannon