Those endless dog days of lockdown, a ramshackle affordable studio in L.A.'s Chinatown, just the right sight of bohemian. Space to breathe, think, dream. An enforced pause, look at the sea, the sun, the streets, the city changing for better and worse. A weird melancholia; when will everyday life start again? And what even is that? Coming out of this surreal moment of freedom is Puli, an L.A band comprising underground musicians and producers Damon Palermo (aka Magic Touch), Phil Cho (Third Place and one of the creative directors of In Sheep's Clothing), and John Jones, variously of A.V. Moves, Geo Rip, and Suzanne Kraft and Baba Stiltz's live bands.

Their music is gossamer light, with polyrhythms and bass weight, a product of freewheeling jam sessions. It has sun-dappled, woozy melodies, a reggae pulse, and slouchy, slack grooves redolent of West Coast laissez-faire. But for all the blissed-out lethargy, their debut release is an L.P. - 'Swirling' - released on Miami's Open Space Music. The imprint, run by DJ Ray, has a low output/high-quality control ethos. With live shows forthcoming, Puli is not a bunch of slackers; things are happening.

'Ramona' sets out the Puli stall with pulsating synthesisers, intricate percussion, sub-bass, laconic guitars, and an acute melodic sensibility. 'Havana Jam's' broken DMXish drums lope at a head nodder's tempo, abetted by stoner-funk bass. A deep, encompassing groove. 'Cloudy' features rolling fusion drums and synths reminiscent of Andreas Vollenweider at his most blissed-out, topped with Cho's breathy, wordless vocal stylings. 'Leech Seed Dub' is a moment of shade, half-time dubwise percussion, a cool breeze drifting in from the sea toward the end of a sweltering day.

'Bongo Springs' comes with delicate two-step drums, woody hand percussion and a plump strident bass. New age house cut from the same cloth as kindred spirits, the Pender Street Steppers. 'Swirling' maybe takes its cues from U.K. ambient house, delayed trip-hoppy drums, and a cosmic guitar solo trickling across sparkling synths before spacing out into the dubby ether. 'Captain & Steve' has punchy drums offset by a lazy tropical topline, while ' C.S.B' leans toward ethereal indie with Cho's vocal stylings once again in the mix. A pop song refracted through a prism.

This use of negative space, hinting without showing, gives 'Swirling' a hypnotic, moreish quality. A deeply atmospheric long-player heavy with mystery, speaking of its place but talking to everyone.

Puli's 'Swirling' is released by Open Space Music on the 11th of October.