St. Augustine, Florida

In a world of niche labels defined by a particular bassline or click, it’s tough to put your mind around the sprawling sound of Ghostly International. The range of disco, pop, ambient, hip-hop, and experimental releases is impressive and, when I wasn’t looking, they’ve been quietly cultivating some of the finest techno-pop in America. While Matthew Dear, Dabrye, and the Mobius Band remain the flagship acts, names like James T. Cotton, Kate Simko, and Charles Manier have been steadily improving 12″s and compilations for years.

Another reliable name that never really grabbed my attention is Osborne, but his new eponymous long-player will keep his name on the top-shelf for a while. “Out of Sight” features a jittery soul vocal worthy of Moodymann, balanced neatly on top of a tall slab of bass and bells; it’s light and easy in a good summer-anthem way. “There” is a moody synth affair, all sparkles and endless future-tones that brood like a tooled-up Vangelis soundtrack.

Osborne – Outta Sight
Osborne – There
(from Osborne. Ghostly International, 2008)