To kick-start Artificial Dance’s 2018 release programme, the label has once again delved deep into the darkest corners of the Dutch electronic underground. The result is a debut solo EP from another future hero, Hague-based Pasiphae. Born in Greece, Pasiphae took up DJing and music production when she moved to the Netherlands five years ago. By 2016, she was confident enough to hold her own in the studio with Intergalactic Gary, with the resulting collaborative 12”, Made of Glass, winning praise for its floor-rocking rhythms and throbbing electronic instrumentation. The Siphax EP, her first solo outing, is arguably even more solid. Packed with mutant alien funk (the superb title track), horror-fired dancefloor dystopia (throbbing opener “Tachynons”) and skewed electronic soundscapes (“Vertical Rotation”, which sounds like it could have been taken from the soundtrack of an early ‘80s art-house movie), the six tracks offer a neat summary of Pasiphae’s unique musical world. Check out, in particular, the two-part murkiness and late night hum of “Quelque Chose De Mauvais” and “Quelque Chose De Mal”, which are creepy and clandestine in equal measure. If that’s not enough to set the pulse racing, turn your attention to EP closer “Hedera”, a beat-less but rhythmic romp through muggy, psychedelic pastures.