Brooklyn-based and sample-minded, songwriter Duncan Cooper (Wildarms) does an admirable job of filling the void Air France left. Cooper’s material reminds of the recently disbanded Swedish duo, mainly for tastefully atmospheric sampling that seems to aim for serene and utopian soundscapes — hence why Air France were often dubbed as “beach foam pop.” Cooper wrote the track “Dreams of Cuba” specifically for music blog Stadiums & Shrines‘ “Dream” project, where artists create a piece of music inspired by a handmade collage. That collage can be viewed above, and in larger form here. “Dreams of Cuba” is a free-spirited journey that begins with blissfully upbeat synth droplets, enhanced by complementary samples ranging from fuzzy jazz-like humming to someone’s voice mimicking a dog bark. A lead vocal solo sporadically creates a few seconds of non-accompanied tranquility, which makes the relaxing instrumentation throughout the majority of the track that much more effective. It’s incredibly easy to get lost in a track like “Dreams of Cuba”, which successfully transports listeners to another locale entirely.
