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It’s not a huge surprise to learn that Julien Mier’s music is influenced, not so much by other musicians, but by the sea. The 23-year-old grew up on the Dutch coastline, and there’s a trickling ebb-and-flow to his music that reflects his affinity to the ocean – not entirely a pretentious extrapolation by the way, as Mier himself describes water as “something inspirational…it moves and changes all the time”.

Releasing his first EP at the tender age of 18, the increasing progression of his music can be attributed to years spent studying music production. You just know he’s one of those guys who, when faced with a new piece of music software, manages to knock out a jaw-dropping beat with a few simple clicks and taps while you’re still struggling to work out how to turn the volume up.

His new EP, “When Will You Wake Up”, feels like the fruition of a formula he’s been working at for many years. Lead track “Watercolour Sky”, with accompanying video of a giant origami sky-squid, is a luscious mixture of warped electronics and jazz flourishes that will be familiar to fans of Flying Lotus. “Glide Sail Float” adds some charming vocals courtesy of Myrthe van de Weetering, while the bubbling, burbling beats of “Capsized” brings Mier’s watery essence to the fore. It’s a storming release (another triumph for Canadian label King Deluxe) and hopefully there’ll be more to come soon. Provided he’s finished his studies of course.

Julien Mier – Watercolour Sky from Stuart Langfield on Vimeo.