Devotional CD

Silentes has so far supplied little information about the artist known as Scapular, or for that matter his debut album on their 13 sub-label, which is called Devotional. Here's what we know: it was recorded in Mexico City in late 2019 and early 2020 by a hitherto unknown producer who goes by the name of J. Sanchez. Musically, it's a pleasingly opaque and subtly-varied affair built around gaseous ambient electronics, chopped and processed samples (think field recordings, spoken word snippets, and heavenly choirs), crunchy electronic rhythms, hazy dub techno textures, and unsurprisingly spacey grooves. It's hard to get a handle on, but that's part of the fun. Most importantly, the debutant artist has delivered a set that surprises and delights at every turn.