Having spent two decades immersed in Norway's music scene alongside releasing mind-expanding music under his Kohib moniker, Øivind Sjøvoll returns to Beatservice Records under his Ransel alias. A recently constructed avenue to explore the darker, more club-focused reaches of his productions, this compilation pulls together eight spellbinding Ransel tracks released between 2022 and 2023.

'The Colour and The Shape' opens, a marriage of folk and fantasy wrapped up in a rumbling electronic groove. Collaborating with Norwegian Sami singer, Mari Boine, it's a mesmerising blend of haunting, siren-like vocals and thundering synthesis. The title track 'Islands' and 'Qimmiq' follow. The former a tribal charge through the darkness led by menacing throat singing and driving drums, the latter a hypnotising incantation of chugging electronica. As you head deeper, you'll find the trance-inducing, slo-mo desert sorcery of 'Taiga', before hitting peaktime territory with a slice of twisted synth-heavy house via 'Love Is In The Air'.

Three more club-ready cuts close out the compilation showcasing the breadth of Sjøvoll's productions. The arp-driven mindmelter 'Dykan', the tripped-out mysticism of 'Darian', and the finally the deep rolling, melodic closer 'Phoenix (Less Tuba Edit)'.

LP tracklisting A 1-4, B 5-8.