To bring to life the paradoxical themes of this album, Basile3 tapped his frequent collaborator, artist Thelma Capello (whose spoken word verses appear on the track “Siren”). The cover artwork reflects the creative confrontations brought together in Basile3’s productions: on one hand, a contemplative floral aesthetic reflecting inner questioning and doubts; on the other, a winding low-tech electric line pulsating towards a catharsis often found through club music.

43°C starts with the glitchy and dreamy opening track, “Wire Rise,” which directly sets the tone of this project —a cascade of surreal electronic productions, delicately clashing. Grime rapper Lloyfears features on the track, with lyrics that touch upon the themes vulnerability that will permeate the album.

The next track, “Air Quality,” opens with clanging guitar notes and a weather reporter detailing a faintly alarming heatwave, which is immediately cooled down by a waterfall of melodic synths, deftly soothing the listener before the anxiety steeps in.

Basile3 has developed his sound and identity through multiple intimate artistic collaborations across the UK and Europe. This is shown from his early participation in Gang Fatale (London’s former “enfants terribles” club music collective), to his recent live and studio collaborations with InFiné labemates (Deena Abdelwahed, Sabrina Bellaouel, Gaspar Claus), as well as his latest collaboration with AD93’s Minor Science, who mixed this album. It’s, thus, no surprise to find the track “4friends” on the album, an ode to the strong sense of community that has peppered Basile3’s production process and career.

On “U Stole The Summer” Basile3 grapples with synthetic memories, the existence of which we struggle to confirm or dismiss as mere speculation. He speaks of the difficulty of relating, of simple joys, of desires. “U Stole The Summer,” offers the nostalgic vibe of a summer of 2016 dance banger, albeit through a janky car radio.

43°C is an album about love and friendship in a time of uncertainty. “My Window,” featuring guitarist and vocalist Lucy Sissy Miller, speaks on the impossibility of love, as glitchy folk melodies swell and soar. The album’s closing track does not shy away from bitterness, concluding epicly with “And Tuning,” a dizzying elegy. Basile3’s curiosity for club sounds, and in particular their many sources, implodes by the end of this debut album, through bugs, glitches and breaks like an overheated computer.