Radio Days

With a string of EPs and remixes for labels such as Pets, Crosstown Rebels, and Tartelet, Uffe Christensen slowly but surely made a name for himself as a purveyor of smoky, mysterious house tracks that were equally danceable and organic. He refines this approach even further on Radio Days, a debut album that builds and deepens that dreamy yet propulsive vibe. "Lemon Nights," which was previously released on a late-2014 Tartelet compilation, is one of the most straightforwardly house-inspired moments here, but it still bears Uffe's signature contrast of the subtle and unexpected as its slow-building arrangement and sudden flourishes make it a theme song for evenings that unfold in momentous ways. This balance of atmosphere and groove feels effortless, thanks in part to Rewolmer's Jeppe Lauritsen, whose live recordings enhance Uffe's sample-based modus operandi and blur any boundaries between emotion and technology. Christensen's affinity for jazz also imbues Radio Days with an experimental bent as well as a haunting mood; as his distant vocals shadow the jittery rhythms on "My Luv Was Real," it sounds like heartache on a loop. There's a similarly torchy quality to "Die for You (I Won't)," where Uffe teases listeners with a gauzy prelude before committing to a four-on-the-floor pulse, and "I Can Show You High," which adds a mischievous twinkle to the proceedings. Radio Days' interludes underscore its dreamlike flow and suggest different directions for his music: "Space Loop"'s funky disco offers a welcome breather from the rest of the album's reveries, while "For a While" goes deeper into them, hinting at the kind of ultra-romantic tracks Uffe seems destined to make. Some of these shorter songs (particularly the tantalizing "Your Reality") beg to be fleshed out, but leaving listeners wanting more is hardly the worst fault an album can have. Radio Days is the kind of album that pulls listeners in gradually instead of announcing its charms too loudly, and it proves that Uffe can expand on his short releases with seductive flair.