Missing Places I've Never Been (PROFF)

Prolific downtempo producer PROFF releases his debut album on Anjunachill, bending atmosphere to his will for a blissful one hour of runtime.

A padded warmth envelops "Missing Places I've Never Been" in lazy dust particles, floating, illuminated by the gentle light of the lamp in the corner. Swathes of synth blankets, echoes of vague dreams, veils of silk atmosphere. A lulling, progressive, wistful tenderness shrouded in the solitude of peaceful soundscapes - "Missing Places I've Never Been" is nothing if not beautiful. PROFF proves his worth once again with his downtempo style, a style so subtly intricate it feels like it's brushing past you with the whisperings of the night wind. There's a good balance of beatless tracks and elegant beatwork, but in either realm, the result ends up being uncannily similar - pure, undistilled immersion. Across a hefty 77 minutes this album enters coolly, glides swiftly through its tracks, and moves smoothly in ways which are not shockingly unique - as is the nature of chillout - but surprising still. "Missing Places I've Never Been" would be nothing without its tender ambience. And yet the sound design is absolutely immaculate. Even across 6+ minute tracks, PROFF measures his progression to the bar, understanding where to move tracks and exactly when to do it, mixing in some pulsing leads or melodic intermissions to keep a constant sense of movement that still feels aptly grounded and soft. That is to say, this album, despite residing stoically in the chillout area, does not stay put in a single synth pad for too long. Blending this with the occasional beat exudes compositional dexterity, and let me tell you, PROFF's beats are nothing short of wizardry. Minimalism holds power, and PROFF knows this, with his crystal-clear drums and organic production, creating backing that can bring a track from the most brainless ambient environment to a shuffling, dynamic masterpiece. It's this beatwork that brings "Missing Places I've Never Been" a step up, from comfortable - which is still fantastic in its own right - to mesmerizing.

Though, I cannot commend this album without recognising that it does sometimes fade into the background if you let it, as does a lot of chillout. And with the length of the tracks, this LP can lack some replayability on a track-by-track basis. But, that being said, I've always considered an album to be particularly strong if it weighs up as more than the some of its parts, and this record is no exception, so "Missing Places I've Never Been" ends up with a deservedly high score for that. Because, honestly, if you allow yourself full attention, music rarely gets more hypnotic than this.