The lads over at King Deluxe have had some seriously nice releases in the last year. Option Command’s Horizon Glow EP is a prime example of the magic coming from that label right now. To be honest with you, the first thing that struck me about this release was the 8 bit cover art courtesy of Hollis Brown Thornton. This EP absolutely begs for a physical release – nice glossy vinyl with a big orange sleeve. I’m a sucker for the cohesive blending of an artist’s music and the cover art that accompanies it. When it’s done right, it makes the music experience that much more enjoyable. In this case, it amplifies the lo-fi digital and organic sounds that mingle so well on this release. The 8 bit and lo-fi elements just seem to teeter on the edge, accessible and nostalgic, but not overwhelming so. If there was ever a fantasy Snes game floating around in my head, this would most certainly be its hip hop soundtrack. One of my favorite releases of 2011, no question about it.