Stringing us along with a slowed-down salsa rhythm or something similar, this track exudes an otherworldly appeal, both in this rhythm which because of its downtempo feeling feels alien and unlike the rapidity of a Latin rhythm, as well as in its sounds that flutter between wilted by heat distortion and the first few levels on a platformer—you know, when it's all grass and blue skies and the enemy AI is pretty low and the gaps to jump aren't all that. This is all tied together with a glorious minimalism, spaces between the very real analogue sounds served with a sheen of dusty record player fuzz, the only thing jumping out being a dub-flavoured sample soaked with reverb almost making it indiscernible, but it mentions the song's title: 'Yard Man'.
There are many things that London musicmaker World Air's track calls to mind. We can look at the cutesy vibe of Yoshi's Island, for instance, whose soundtrack is similar in atmosphere, and we can also namecheck Super Mario 64 for its use of garbled synth vox, the same sort of sound that punctuates 'Yard Man' with syncopation and childlike officiousness—even the hotel theme from Earthbound feels not-too-distant. Nothing is too sharp here: the sounds are rounded, gently bevelled, the percussion that punctuates throughout bounces with retro drum machine pliability, a zany half-acid bass squelches with SNES slacker vibe. Warm warped organ keyboard chords twinkle and chime with muted sparkle, small melodies spring upwards decayed and wobbling. World Air crafts your very own soundtrack to your life as World 1-1, a simplistic dream of sound that feels warm from fingers to toes, familiar, almost archetypal yet undeniably fresh and bursting modestly with vital carefree beauty.
- π This marvellous track is taken from World Air's Lo Recordings-released album Air's World, Vol. 1, which comes packed with five tracks, including 'Yard Man', that are sound different yet follow the same immediately loveable organic timeless fun aesthetic. Listening is highly recommended.
- The abstract artwork for the track, a swirl of pastel breeziness and not wholly bold, fluid yet constructivist lines, was created by Liam Richardson.
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