Believe In Reflecting is the debut release from Roaming, the new collaboration between Christopher Rau and Moomin. Whilst both Rau and Moomin have already released one track together under their own names on Oliver Deutschmann's Futureworld compilation this marks their first proper outing.
There are two original tracks that make up this EP. Opener 'Our Dream Of' is a deep, breathy track with whispered utterances, snatches of brass and a building electronic bass. It's simple but done well - tight, intimate and well baked.
Closing track 'Believe In Reflecting' is less restrained - still warm but with a shimmering, breezy sound coming from the combination of rubber-band baselines and soft keys. Intriguingly it is punctuated with off-time samples of 'Christmas Time Is Here'' from Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas.
The jazzy, soft brushed drum sounds and angelic vocals of Guaraldi's festive masterpiece are so fundamentally ingrained in my annual Christmas experience that hearing them within an upbeat, summer worshipping dance track admittedly throws me for a bit of a loop. Other than that the track is a uplifting and progressively pleasing however and perhaps, if your Christmas isn't as dependent on the proper placement of Charlie's Christmas blues tale as mine, you may not even notice the discord.
Sandwiched between the two original tracks is a remix of 'Believe In Reflecting' by Smallpeople, the owners of label behind the release - Smallville. It loses the Christmas samples, and therefore my conflicted emotions, and yet also loses a little of the charm. It retains the gentle, jazzy keys and builds warmth through a series of ambient chords but it doesn't boast quite the same lazy sun drenched vibe.
Believe In Reflecting is released through Smallville via 12" and MP3 on Monday, stream it below on Soundcloud: