Parisian beatmaker Gus La Tempête and former member of the Electric Conversation band is charting his own path as he releases his 2 part project Upside Down Vol 1 and Vol 2. Both projects were released on Laissedoudis Records and they are focused on his music-making process using the sp303 or sp555 which is quite different from his usual way of crafting music.

Vol.1 starts off with the trippy jazz vibes of “Diggin”, the choppy piano and offbeat drums are the centrepiece while the use of distortion effects gives it a grainy and analog feel. This is followed by “Like An Angel” which makes use of a smooth vocal sample and bright keys with punchy drums. The refrain that comes in also breaks the monotony and keeps the production refreshing and dynamic. “Naked Music’ has a solemn and melancholic feel and the recurring pad and staggered drums play off each other like ping pong balls. “Nice Sp” is an homage to the sp303 and sp555 and it’s made up of a slick guitar riff and a vocal sample that blend together with airy elements. “Another Love” flips a classic Teddy Pendergrass sample into something refreshing and the way he changes the pitch sure gives it an interesting bouncy feel. “Astral Plants” employs another classic sample which exudes a rich cinematic feel and a retro-pop bounce reminiscent of the 80s. “Isreal Vibrations” has a Madlib-type feel with its off-beat sampling techniques and fast-paced switch-ups that blend soulful elements with cinematic brass stabs. “Palladium” uses a glitchy approach and “Over” has a solemn and reflective feel with simple but punchy drum grooves to boot.

The project closes out with “Rolling” and “How?”, the former has an ominous and moody sample that weaves into a dark texture with soft grooves while the latter is bright and somewhat uplifting with its rich organ sample and sublime pads.