John Beltran, a leading figure on the US techno-ambient scene, returns in 2026 to use one of the monikers that made him famous, Placid Angles, after some time. Born in Michigan in 1969, Beltran began his career publishing for Carl Craig's label in the nineties, and then became a point of reference for many producer And sound designer of the generation immediately following him. His foresight, his nose for the talent of others, but also the respect that new generations have for him, have allowed him to enrich “Canada”, the album that marks his return, with a series of successful collaborations. Standing out above all featuring by Sophia Stel, an emerging singer-songwriter from Vancouver (Canada, precisely) who we covered on the occasion of her recent works. Sophia wrote the lyrics and put her recognizable voice (with very Ethel Cain inflections) on “I Want What I Want,” one of the best tracks on the record. Leeds tech-house producer Tom VR contributed to the vigorous 'Tudes Alternate', while Bristol's Yushh added his own touch to 'Wildfire'.
The project came together during a trip Beltran took to Canada, while he was already working on these songs. The boundless landscapes of the North American country influenced the writing to such an extent that the producer couldn't help but title the album with the name of the North American state. The ambient cut of the initial “Sainte Anne”, which opens on placid guitar arpeggios, the evocative passage of “Reminds Me Of The Rain” and the final “Sweet Morning Dream”, highlights hypnotic and relaxing melodies, beatlessbetween lounge and new-age. But beyond these three compositions, it is the rhythm that dominates the remaining eight tracks, starting from the long ride that gives the album its title, already released as the first single last November. The syncopated deep house expressed in “Sun” (with the flutes in evidence), the dubstep dusted off in “Hero”, the joyous breakbeats of “We Cry With You”, which at the end transforms into surprising electro-gaze, the soft Balearic sound of “Hands Of Love”, are other interesting facets of a heterogeneous and multicolored prism, which looks in multiple directions while maintaining a great internal cohesion.
02/19/2026
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
