"Press Play" by V.A.T hits you right away. The beat’s steady, sure, but it doesn’t just push you forward, sometimes it makes you stop for a second, like a memory flashing by. The sound is warm, kind of dusty in a nice way, like sunlight on sand, or maybe like a faint song you catch somewhere and can’t quite place. It’s not trying to be perfect, and that’s what makes it feel alive.

The second you spin “Falling Stars”, De Antiquis Et Novis latest track, you instantaneously start dancing in your chair on the vibe,...