VARIOUS — Ensō Series Vol 3

Wabi Sabi Records returns with Ensō Series Vol 3 - まだ夏、どこか - Still Summer, Somewhere, the third instalment in its vinyl compilation series exploring different shades of contemporary house music. Released as WABISABI003, this four-track 12-inch brings together Paperkraft, TDKK, Ferlow and David Silver for a distinctly atmospheric take on house, moving away from the acid-driven focus of the previous volume and towards Balearic warmth, dream-house textures and the nostalgic feeling of an endless summer evening. The release continues the concept established by Wabi Sabi Records from its first catalogue entries. The Berlin-based, Italian-led label describes its musical identity through analog sounds, raw grooves and an appreciation of imperfection, with the Ensō series conceived as a various-artists collection capable of moving across different shades of house music. The first volume, Neon Dream, explored deep and groovy house and tech house, while the second chapter, The Way of Acid, concentrated on raw and hypnotic acid house. Still Summer, Somewhere takes the series into a softer, more spacious and emotionally coloured territory. The title まだ夏、どこか — translated as Still Summer, Somewhere — provides the central idea for the record. Rather than presenting summer as a literal genre reference, the compilation approaches it as an atmosphere: the sensation of warmth remaining in the air after sunset, the memory of a long day and the slightly dreamlike quality of music heard somewhere between daylight and night. Wabi Sabi's own description frames the release as a soundtrack to an everlasting dusk, combining Balearic warmth with the misty glow of dream house. That gives the four tracks a common emotional environment while allowing each producer to interpret it differently. Opening the A-side is Paperkraft with Palmwave. Paperkraft has already appeared in the Ensō Series, contributing Don't Want to the second volume, where the Japanese producer was singled out for incorporating a hip-house flavour into an acid-house setting. Palmwave represents a different side of that musical vocabulary, fitting the third volume's warmer and more atmospheric direction. The title itself suggests the record's relationship with summer, but its role within the compilation is more important than the imagery alone: it establishes the relaxed, sun-washed character around which the remaining tracks develop. TDKK follows with Verano Eterno, completing the A-side. TDKK is another artist already connected to the Wabi Sabi catalogue, having appeared on both the first and second Ensō releases. On Neon Dream, TDKK contributed I Shall Weave Your Hair Into Threads Of Acid; on The Way Of Acid, the producer returned with New Groove. Verano Eterno therefore continues an established relationship between the artist and the label while shifting the context from acid-oriented material towards the more evocative atmosphere of Still Summer, Somewhere. Its Spanish title, meaning Eternal Summer, reinforces the central theme without requiring the track to function as a conventional summer anthem. The B-side begins with Ferlow's Ophira, bringing a new name into the Ensō Series. Positioned at the beginning of the second half, Ophira helps expand the compilation beyond the artists already familiar from previous Wabi Sabi releases. Within the record's overall concept, the track occupies the transition from the warm opening sequence into the more reflective territory of the B-side. The placement is characteristic of a compilation designed as a continuous mood rather than simply a collection of unrelated tracks: each production contributes to the same broad atmosphere while retaining its own identity. David Silver closes the record with Nostalgic Vibez. Silver has been part of the Wabi Sabi catalogue since the first Ensō volume, where he collaborated with DISK WASHER on Ma quante ne sa Gino. His return on WABISABI003 gives the series another point of continuity, connecting the latest release with the label's original deep-house-oriented foundations. Nostalgic Vibez is particularly appropriate as the closing track because the idea of nostalgia is central to the compilation itself: Still Summer, Somewhere is concerned less with peak-time intensity than with the memory and emotional afterglow of a particular moment. Across its four tracks, WABISABI003 presents a noticeably different perspective from the preceding Ensō chapters. The first volume introduced Wabi Sabi's house aesthetic through deep, groovy and tech-house material, while the second was explicitly centred on acid house, with 303-led grooves and hypnotic repetition. Still Summer, Somewhere instead foregrounds atmosphere, warmth and nostalgia. Balearic influence and dream-house sensibilities give the record a lighter emotional palette, but the underlying house orientation keeps it connected to the dancefloor. For DJs, this makes the release particularly suited to sets where atmosphere and groove need to work together. Rather than relying on aggressive peak-time dynamics, the compilation is built around the kind of mood that can shape the middle or later stages of a set, particularly during sunset, warm-up and late-night transitions. The four-track structure also gives the record a useful sense of progression: Paperkraft and TDKK establish the summer-toned opening, Ferlow changes the perspective on the B-side, and David Silver brings the journey back towards the reflective nostalgia implied by the title. For collectors, WABISABI003 is also an important continuation of a label catalogue that is developing rapidly through physical vinyl releases. The Ensō Series is becoming a framework through which Wabi Sabi can document different approaches to house music while maintaining a recognisable aesthetic connection between its releases. With Paperkraft, TDKK and David Silver returning from earlier chapters alongside Ferlow's debut in the series, Still Summer, Somewhere combines continuity with a new sonic direction. Ensō Series Vol 3 - まだ夏、どこか - Still Summer, Somewhere is therefore less about a single definition of house than about creating a specific time and place through four carefully selected productions. From Paperkraft's Palmwave and TDKK's Verano Eterno to Ferlow's Ophira and David Silver's Nostalgic Vibez, WABISABI003 captures the lingering feeling of summer after the sun has disappeared: warm, slightly hazy, nostalgic and still connected to the movement of the dancefloor. As the third 12-inch in the Ensō Series, it expands Wabi Sabi Records' catalogue while preserving the label's interest in groove, atmosphere and the imperfect character of physical house music.