A gorgeous rumination on life, death and dancing from Ivan Mašić’s Ex Ponto, lodging a richly memorable debut on Vlad Ivkovic’s Offen Music

Member of Aussie improv collective Council of Elders, and experimental no wave band Wanderlust, Mašić here shares a waking dream sequence of pastoral ambient bucolia and acid wiggle that leaves a lasting impression. It’s really defined by its wondrous A-side, where Mašić makes sublime, affective use of a field recording by Joseph Norster of a chat with his son, August in a quarry hours away Melbourne. Without wanting to give too much away, the atmospheric dialogue on ‘Ina Quarry… Far, Far Away’ involves a father explaining nature to his son, and set to the sort of serenely spirited synth music found on Waak Waak Jungi’s ‘90s works, the uncanniness of Pataphysical, or the drowsy documentarian appeal of Ernest Hood’s ‘Neighbourhood’ transplanted to the wilds. It’s quite the dream confection, if you ask us, and simply one of those pieces of music that indelibly settles on the mind with enduring effect. The B-side cuts come into their own as instrumental space for reflection or lowkey club use, saddling up the 808 and lissom guitars for the lip-smacking slink of ‘Golden Hours’, which comes off like CS + Kreme meets Dome and a 303, before the ’Shed 14’ pays tribute to the legendary Melbourne club with 3 minutes of dusty acid electro suss.