ARTEM STAN — Exotic Cruise EP

Artem Stan – Exotic Cruise EP Artem Stan delivers the second release on OWL with Exotic Cruise EP, a four-track vinyl-only record that moves through dreamy progressive house, deep house, Balearic colour and early house influences. Released as OWL002, the EP balances warm melodic atmosphere with restrained club momentum, creating a record that feels equally suited to late-afternoon sessions and deeper nighttime sets. The A-side opens with Exotic Cruise (Dreams Primates Version), a spacious and melodic interpretation built around shimmering synthesizer lines, shuffled percussion and subtle acid details. The groove develops patiently rather than forcing the arrangement forward, allowing the melodic elements to create a warm, floating atmosphere. A long breakdown stretches the tension before the rhythm returns, giving the track a natural sense of progression without abandoning its understated character. Exotic Cruise (Original) follows with a more progressive approach. The rhythm is firmer and the arrangement develops through gradual increases in tension, with airy chords and a muscular low-end providing the track's central structure. Rather than relying on an obvious peak, Artem Stan builds the track through controlled layering and melodic anticipation, placing it comfortably between progressive house and deeper club territory. On the B-side, Forest Games moves further into deep-house territory. Warm textures and hypnotic pads sit over a steady groove, while acid-tinged elements gradually introduce a more psychedelic dimension. The track's appeal comes from its atmosphere and repetition: individual sounds remain relatively sparse, but their interaction creates a continuously evolving sense of motion. Something Sexy closes the record from a different angle. Its chunky rhythm, loose swing and proto-house character bring a more direct connection to early Chicago house vocabulary. The track retains the EP's warmth but strips the arrangement down to groove, percussion and attitude, making it the most raw and playful moment on the record. Across Exotic Cruise EP, Artem Stan avoids treating its influences as fixed genre references. Progressive house provides the structural framework, deep house supplies the atmosphere, Balearic elements introduce warmth and escapism, while acid and proto-house touches give the record its physical character. The four tracks remain stylistically connected without sounding like variations of the same production. The release also represents the second chapter of OWL, the white-label offshoot associated with OPIA Records. Following the label's debut, Exotic Cruise EP establishes a clear direction built around eclectic electronic music and DJ-focused vinyl releases. For DJs, OWL002 offers four different points of entry into the same warm, hypnotic world. Dreams Primates Version works naturally in the opening stages of a set, the Original adds progressive drive, Forest Games provides deeper psychedelic movement, and Something Sexy brings the record back toward raw house groove. Exotic Cruise EP is therefore less about chasing a single contemporary sound than about connecting several strands of underground house music through atmosphere, rhythm and careful arrangement. Artem Stan gives OWL its second release with a record that is melodic without becoming excessive, progressive without losing its groove, and nostalgic without simply reproducing the past.