The transformation is immediately apparent. Where previous Bloomfield Machine releases often dwelt in darker territories, this eighth full-length drifts through dreamscapes with the unhurried grace of morning mist. Tracks such as "Diminishing Returns" and "Trading Happiness" unfold with remarkable restraint – each melodic phrase weighted perfectly, never overstaying its welcome. Kassan has discovered the power of understatement, allowing silence to carry as much meaning as sound.

Crafted entirely within his apartment sanctuary using Reason DAW, "Copium" bears the intimate hallmarks of bedroom production while transcending its typical limitations. The album's deliberately weathered textures and glitchy interruptions feel purposeful rather than accidental, creating a sonic world that occupies the liminal space between Boards of Canada's pastoral electronics and the more oblique experiments of Aphex Twin. Kassan's classical foundation provides the melodic architecture, while his evident affection for Gary Numan and New Order supplies the rhythmic pulse that prevents these compositions from dissolving into mere ambient drift.

The pervading melancholy never feels self-indulgent or maudlin. Instead, Kassan has constructed what he accurately describes as "a balm" – music that acknowledges sorrow while simultaneously offering comfort. His ability to articulate complex emotional states through purely instrumental means demonstrates a composer confident enough to let the music speak without verbal explanation.

The album's brevity works entirely in its favour. Kassan has always favoured the three-minute pop song as his fundamental unit, and here that discipline serves him brilliantly. These are sonic snapshots, each capturing a fleeting mood with remarkable precision. The result rewards both concentrated headphone listening and casual domestic accompaniment – a rare achievement that speaks to the universality of its emotional register.

If "Copium" occasionally feels ephemeral – certain tracks vanish almost before they've registered – this seems entirely deliberate. For an artist who confesses amazement at his own creative output, Kassan has delivered his most cohesive and affecting statement yet. The album stands as both personal catharsis and generous gift, offering listeners precisely what its creator promises: solace, joy, and a momentary escape into a world where emotion finds perfect expression through sound alone.