Opening a new chapter in an already leading best-seller, GMJ & Matter launch a companion label to sit alongside their peerless Meanwhile imprint. Through Meanwhile Horizons, the Australian duo are set to focus on a more melodic and considered dancefloor sound with a liberal smattering of downtempo and chillout music.

A debut release sees a stunning quartet of artists take centre stage on “Beyond the Horizon”. Opening the EP, Maddy Hughes once again takes his renowned and revered Funkform moniker into the limelight with “Cosmosis”. Beautifully imagined, delicate textures and sonic waves wash over each other in delicious harmony as subtle motifs emerge out the aural collage. Building in delicate intensity, a chunky beat and airy percussive groove sit atop the 9-minute piece as the second half opens up with glittering arpeggio and an immaculate wall of sound.

Co-label founder, Matter, once again delivers another stunning performance with “Air Sand”, the first single from his forthcoming debut album on Meanwhile Horizons. A veteran of countless high-profile releases on the likes of Anjunadeep, Balance and Proton Music, the Australian provides a powerful backdrop of thumping beat and ticking percussive overlay as a rolling groove creates the foundation for an evolving array of sounds to blossom in the 10-minute sonic excursion. Always keeping the dancefloor in mind, a club-friendly middle section is a progressive house masterclass of layered melodies, vocal breaths and hypnotic plucked motif. Sandwiched either side by waves of atmosphere and texture, “Air Sand” is another Matter gem.

A stalwart of the progressive house scene for 8 years, Rafa’EL is another artist with a rich seam of high-profile releases to his name for the likes of Balkan Connection, Univack and Electronic Tree. Now making his mark on Meanwhile Horizons, “Julie” is a fluid, progressive house jewel that glitters through use of sparkling arpeggio and sumptuous free-flowing pads. The most recognisable club-friendly track of the EP, a strong rhythmic framework anchors the track while synthesised vocal sounds pitch delicately against layers of counterpoint motifs to create a spell-binding debut.

Debuting his new ambient and downtempo soubriquet, Meanwhile supremo, GMJ presents Qiam on the final track of the release. Already an iconic name within the underground dance fraternity with scores of best-selling releases on blue-chip imprints, “Dadradah” is a gloriously imagined track brim full of emotion and atmosphere. Within a beatless structure, thickly textured pads dominate as an emotionally charged bassline sustains throughout. Building to a spine-tingling crescendo over its 6-minute duration, a filtered arpeggio sequence opens up as delicate string motifs had further intensity in the final stages.

Stretching out into a golden dawn, “Beyond the Horizon” showcases an increasingly bright new future.

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