Since summer’s been in full swing for a few months now, I’ve found myself listening to a lot of one particular artist, whose output consistently matches the sunny, blue-skied days of late. The man I’m referring to is the Basic Channel-influenced, Glasgow-based ambient techno master, Pub. Like a lot of the best techno artists, Pub has remained relatively unknown, despite releasing a string of brilliant albums over the past ten years or so.

I was initially going to leave the “Basic Channel-influenced” part out of the description, because I didn’t want to suggest that this has a lot in common with the artists in the Deepchord/Echospace camp. Sure, they’re both tapping those oceanic ambient washes, but Pub’s approach to rhythm is much less rooted in heavily delayed beats, and relies more on hypnotic poly-rhythms you might associate with Phaedra- or Rubycon-era Tangerine Dream.

While Tanner (current Pure Pop clerk) and I were in Asia this past winter, one of the few albums that he and I continually agreed on when it came time to bust out the iPod dock was Pub’s 2002 release, >Single. This was especially true when we were on the ocean, as the ebbs and flows of music always seemed to perfectly augment the lapping waves nearby. Along with (unsurprisingly and not coincidentally) Echospace‘s The Coldest Season (which you need to check out right now), it was the album I listened to the most that month.

What’s interesting about Pub’s style is that he’s carved out a niche within the dubby ambient techno scene, but it’s tough to nail down exactly what it is that makes his sounds unique. He’s in the enviable position of being someone who’s instantly recognizable within a few seconds of any given track, but he keeps things fresh enough to make each release seem like a revelation to his fans. Since artists like Pub are inherently tough to describe, I’d suggest not taking my word for it, but checking out some of his releases for yourself. I’d start with both >Single and Summer at jumping off points, and after you’ve absorbed those, move onto his two most recent projects, Making Trakcx Vols. 1-10 and Cassette Tape #1 and 2. His releases are notoriously pressed in small numbers, so I think at this point it’s kosher to hit up the MP3 blogs. If you care to check availability, though, I’d suggest going to his label’s website, or to BoomKat or right here through Pure Pop. Take advantage of these last few precious waning days of summer, and sync up your surroundings to this stuff. You’ll hear what I’m talking about…