M3rck Records admirably mines a trove of solo producers who refuse to be categorized-here they strike gold with Deru‘s second long-player. Building on the strengths of Pushing Air (Neo Ouija), Deru has meticulously crafted a work that is shockingly beautiful both close-up and from a distance. Balancing captivating textures like the shifting clicks and scrapes of “Spread Your Arms,” and lost hip-hop beats (catch the wooden bass drum thump of “Tapah”), the Chicago-to-LA transplant weaves an impressive and satisfying sound. Deru‘s blend of gorgeously abstract detail and subtly funky grooves never looses sight of the forest for the trees.