- On his two previous records to date (2013's Mirror Image LP and Expressions EP), NTS resident Kit Grill has shown a knack for crafting uncluttered little pieces that combine a regal sound palette with a strong percussive spine. On Europe, a limited-edition five-tracker released via Bandcamp, he fleshes this vision out further, and offers up some genuinely beautiful moments in the process.
Europe's best bits are when Grill cranks the dial to "portentous." Opener "Overnight" and mid-EP highlight "Waterpark" are cases in point—the former's thunderstorm of drums and chords provide the record's most elegiac moment, and the latter's silky Italo synth line and spiralling chimes its most exhilarating. Elsewhere, "Zeiss" and "Traffic" do away with the soaring synth plateaux to explore spikier melodies; "Traffic" evokes Selected Ambient Works 85-92. A brief key piece called "Information" completes an elegant EP.
Tracklist01. Overnight
02. Zeiss
03. Waterpark
04. Traffic
05. Information