Over two years after “EP02”, Freddy43’s “EP03” is a pack of three downtempo electronica instrumentals from the Dutch producer. It’s characterised by some crisp trap-like beats, and a hip-hop swagger combined with a very clean sound, and some rich subbass work that really give your speakers some exercise (much-needed exercise now that your speakers aren’t allowed to go outdoors nowadays).

There’s a slightly bubbly twist in each one, in different ways. “Blowfish” gives a breathy, backwards-style synth, while “Polo” has a squeaky, curious arpeggio line that feels oddly damp.

“Serpent” is the odd-one-out of the three, with a much more laidback beat and bassline that step surprisingly close to jazz. Its oddness comes from the expressive, wobbly and relentless melody line and vocoder-ish noises that are decidedly Luke Vibert-ish at times.

Averaging under four minutes each, these feel like instrumental versions of radio tracks rather than DJ-friendly items, and the sheer amount of empty space in the mid- and top-range really make these tracks feel like grime tracks with the raps taken off. A smart lyrical rapper could have a field day working with these, they’re practically ready-made.

If you’re not a rapper then this is an interesting little pack of electronica curios with a nice quirky character. Something gently different.