De Landa

On face value the moniker of 19-year-old producer Thomas Guida appears to be nothing but an uncooperative choice for search engine use.

However as the full extent of his debut EP is revealed, it becomes apparent that the choice of Leaks as his pseudonym is rather appropriate.

Guida is likely to garner more than a few comparisons to the wildly successful Flume, but Leaks doesn’t force feed beats to his audience. Alternatively, much like his namesake, De Landa is an invigorating drip feed of breezy electronica.

Even when the EP is at its most animated on ‘I Care’, the vocal loops effectuate a lulling energy. The producer has managed to take the sound of 2013 and inject both soul and substance into the mix.

While even the songs that feature discernable vocal additions,  like ‘Delicate Love’ and ‘I’m Glad That You’re Still Here’,  won’t allow you into Guida’s psyche,  De Landa consistently achieves a tone that allows for an experience of introversion for the listener.

That’s not to say that the EP is tame or disinteresting; there may be a fragile complexity to the core sound of Leaks, but the beats and rhythm inspires memorability early on. To successfully intertwine those two components on a debut release at just the age of 19 is astounding.

Yet,  Leaks’ biggest asset is that unlike most artists his age, the music isn’t begging for a revelation. Such is the maturity of De Landa and proves exactly why this EP is worthy of praise-inducing buzz.

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