You don't get to be on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label without displaying a hefty chunk of talent. On his second album for the label Stuart Howard shows how his talent has devloped, delivering a cohesive if woozy slice of electronica. Veering into trip-hop at times, the album is loosely themed around the experience of hypnogogia, the transitional state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep. As such there are no dancefloor bangers, but rather melodies and images that fade into focus and then blur again as we drift into the state with him.
Howard's heavily treated vocals are interspersed with clearer guest turns from Andreya Triana and Szjerdene, the latter contributing to one of my favourite tracks on the album 'Closure'.
Howard's heavily treated vocals are interspersed with clearer guest turns from Andreya Triana and Szjerdene, the latter contributing to one of my favourite tracks on the album 'Closure'.
There's some unexpected (and rather pleasant) saxophone on 'Puzzle, which is another of the best tracks on here, as well as some keyboard samples that reminded me of 'Moments In Love' by The Art of Noise, which I think is destined to be a future single. Throughout the record there are the usual crackly, crunchy rhythms, which here undercut some great melodies. 'Don't Mean A Thing' is the closest the record gets to taking a spin on the dancefloor, but just when you thing you know where it's going it tales the legs out from under you with some utterly gorgeous slide guitar.
It's worth mentioning the luxury packaging for the vinyl - I don't think I've ever had a record sleeve half covered in red velvet before, but that's what you get here, along with double album made from an orangey brown splattered vinyl.
This is definitely a record to sink into once the sun's gone down. Howard's talked about the thinking about the record in terms of a films soundtrack, and if you imagine what a film set in the 22nd century but based around a 1950's retro cocktail bar would look like then this would definitely be the music to accompany it (I might just go and write that film now so hands off the concept).
It's worth mentioning the luxury packaging for the vinyl - I don't think I've ever had a record sleeve half covered in red velvet before, but that's what you get here, along with double album made from an orangey brown splattered vinyl.
This is definitely a record to sink into once the sun's gone down. Howard's talked about the thinking about the record in terms of a films soundtrack, and if you imagine what a film set in the 22nd century but based around a 1950's retro cocktail bar would look like then this would definitely be the music to accompany it (I might just go and write that film now so hands off the concept).
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