The latest release from Lapalux picks up where his last EP, When You’re Gone, left off. That record found the UK beatmaker fitting an astonishing number of components into his tracks, all the while crafting them into tighter, smoother, and more elegant song structures. On Some Other Time, Lapalux continues that effort by expanding upon the prettier components he has played with in the past—the folds of whirring or cooing synths, microsounds that click and chirp, sweeping, cushion-like bass tones wrapped around lulling beats—and working them into soothing, song-like forms.

While When Your Gone occasionally flirted with unnerving and pleasant noises, like the razor-sharp synth on “Gone” or the heavy-handed blasts of bass on “Gutter Glitter,” Lapalux devotes a lot more attention to the softer side of things on his latest release. With the exception of the hard-hitting stomp and bleating bass notes on “Strangling You with the Chord,” the EP revels in warm and inviting sounds. For instance, opening track “Close Call/Chop Cuts” builds swells of low end that carry tides of gleaming synths and hooting vocal samples. When the beat bursts into the mix from the depths of an ambient fog, Lapalux uses it to cradle the medley of sounds that come and go while guiding the song’s minutiae into a sleepy, nodding rhythm.

Lapalux’s beats help to coax his busy soundscapes along, but it’s the way he uses vocalists that truly shapes his productions into “songs.” “Forgetting and Learning Again,” which boasts some seductive singing from Kerry Leatham, is the most pop-friendly number of the bunch. Although Lapalux’s productions are still captivating and brimming with details, they don’t prevent Leatham’s voice from taking center stage when she delivers her lines. Even as the rich layers of sound threaten to overpower her voice toward the end, the singer’s sticky hook, “So I guess I’ll have another,” still pops out. The song progresses without fully adhering to a typical verse-chorus-bridge format, but it bends and builds while nonetheless allowing space for jazz-influenced walking basslines and infectious vocal performances.

Just as When You’re Gone saw Lapalux refining his ability to manipulate a jumble of individual sounds into coherent and captivating songs, Some Other Time reveals the new ways he has further refined his techniques. His latest release doesn’t seek to uncover new sonic territory; instead, Some Other Time dives deeper into a more limited sonic palette. Directing his attention to the pretty, sparkling, and warm elements he has experimented with previously, Lapalux manages to work them into even tighter songs.