Short-lived German label, I.S.D.N., released Mortal’s album, Deco, on CD, in 1997. Mortal was an instrumental side project of cult, electronic quartet, Code. The Kent-based crew fused ambient house, prog-y chillout room techno, with proper songs. Sonically, in places, similar to Underworld and William Orbit, at others David Sylvian and Japan. They also indulged in the odd bit of industrial / EBM pounding. Italian imprint, Sunny Crypt, have now cherrypicked 4 Mortal tracks for a vinyl reissue.

Rouen is a bit too banging for an ageing old foggie like me, but the epic ambience of Mentor: Low Flying, its 10-minute trip, is definitely my current, slightly nostalgic, tempo. A synthesised psychedelia, of sighing machines and arpeggiated flickering, it bucolically bubbles away, like The Orb, APL and HIA. Diodes doing their best didgeridoo, and peaceful pedal steel adds a human touch. Chrysler is also super laidback. Its groovy bass gurgling, snares and cymbals crashing in slo-mo, while a glacial synth gracefully glides, upwards, in a manner that recalls Sabres Of Paradise’s Smokebelch. Moroccan Dip directs us back onto the dancefloor, with a “drug chug” that starts somewhere dark – growling and squelching, peppered with tribal drums and shouts – but gradually it evolves, unfolds into a celebration of light. A jaunty folk flute figure and euphoric swells countering the initial acidic threat. Again, the spirit of The Sabres seems to loom large. The whistling refrain and string lines are ringers for those from their seminal, best-loved, track.

Mortal’s Excerpts From Deco is out now, on Sunny Crypt.