Sal Dulu escapes limitations on his latest slice of hybrid electronica “Alien Boy 96”

22 October 2020, 09:16 | Written by Christopher Hamilton-Peach

(Tracks)

(Sal Dulu)

Dublin-based producer Sal Dulu has, since debuting his first single three years ago, earned a growing reputation for tricksy genre-defying maneuvers; tracks skewing between low-key, jazz-inflected piano-rendered repose and restless hip-hop vibes.

A previous collaborative venture with rapper staHHr amplified a statement of creative exchange inherent in the Irish artist’s work: an open-ended stream of ideas layering freeform foundations.

Self-released via Sal Dulu's label Duluoz Records, “Alien Boy 96” equally finds momentum in an environment unfixed and unbound by rigid structures, veering between a scattershot reel of visceral vocal fragments and downtempo chill-out textures, in-part suggestive of the sonic topographies explored by Tycho and Four Tet. Fuzzily foreboding ambience collides with shrill refrains, conjuring a rupturing atmosphere rooted in unnervingly cryptic mystique.

Sal Dulu · Alien Boy 96

Speaking about the new single, Sal Dulu says: “I made 'Alien Boy 96' quite early on during the making of the album. The song is a throwback to '90s dance music with some hip hop influences in there. Stylistically, it’s probably not the most representative in terms of what the album is about, but it’s one of my favourites and I’m excited to put it out as the first single.”

In anticipation of an upcoming LP in the new year, “Alien Boy 96” reflects Sal Dulu’s varied pool of influence, shifting singularity and emerging talent.

"Alien Boy 96" is out now via Duluoz Records. Find Sal Dulu on Instagram.