Iain Cook of Chvrches fame and revered Glasgow musician Scott Paterson are back with SEEDS II, their second EP under the Protection alias, an ambitious, well-rounded 20 minutes of experimental electric sounds. Come for expertly structured breakbeat sound and piercing synths, and stay for the endearing, melancholy vocal samples, in what is a musical endeavour beginning to feel less like a side project and more like a venture bound to result in headlines slots and the filling of big rooms.

‘Thirst Shrine’ sets the pace from the off, an endearing high-tempo opener that precedes ‘On Love’, an insightful rework of DJ and producer TSHA’s 2022 single, ‘Giving Up’. Those who have enjoyed the recent output of Two Shell and Overmono will likely enjoy SEEDS II and, at the risk of drawing a lazy comparison, the vocal sampling on the final two tracks (‘Something Real’ and ‘Back There’) feels reminiscent of the more upbeat offerings in Burial’s discography in recent times.

The EP’s high point derives from halfway marker ‘THX’, a truly transcendent number capable of soundtracking a Tuesday afternoon daydream, which transports the listener from an office to a packed-out, strobe-lit dancefloor. Having seemingly evaded the mainstream thus far, you can only hope that Protection are given the nod from the relevant industry bigwigs sooner rather than later.

Out now on Saint Lucky Records.