On the first of May, Dutch DJ and producer Yannick Verhoeven released “Ataraxia,” his debut EP as Ramses3000. A cutting-edge melting pot of eclectic electronic influences and outer-national vibes, these six tracks form a bold and vibrant opening statement and display a seemingly limitless creative voice. While tracks Libi and Terra Incognita find their origins in club music and percussional house, Verhoeven’s special talent for genre-blending is especially evident in his interweaving of afro-dub into the down-tempo title track, and in his two stellar collaborations with Sierra Leonean rappers Mash P and Vinel.

“Ataraxia” is a Greek term which roughly translates to “a state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety,” and it was out of this state that these six tracks were conceived; the creation process tied to an acute awareness of transience and an appreciation for the “here and now.” One of Verhoeven’s most cherished moments of ataraxia was actually captured here on the tracks Komotte and Gbana, cut during an extended visit to Way Out Studios in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. As Verhoeven had become more involved with musical developments outside the so-called “Western World,” the desire arose to actually visit these places to witness this shift of global music with his own eyes and ears.