Nine expertly crafted tracks of alt-disco, deep house, leftfield 4/4, digital boogie, future soul, R’n’Chug and forward-thinking sonic hybridizing on the very good Almost Music album from UK producer, DJ and musician Rob Mac and violinist/synth player Lucy Wilkins’ new Land Of Echo project.

It’s dancefloor-targeted, drawing on disco, boogie, chug, soul, and deep house, gently mutating and mixing the forms, the tracks filled with retro guitar and synth licks, live basslines that work, supa-fly beats, electric piano chords and, to my ears, a warm, thick, slightly fuzzy production that’s very appealing. Six tracks feature vocals from Kathy Diamond and Ayana Homma, with songs way beyond the standard sample pack/last-minute-add-on/rent-a-vibe that is depressingly common to lots of house music. And then the whole thing is graced with Wilkins’ wonderful string arrangements, swooping and trilling all over the album. Together it all adds up to a rich, involving collection that reeks of quality, and delivers moment after moment of steaming tropical funk grooves, dubbed out disco, sweet strings and transporting vocals.

It’s one of those albums that I’m sure would work well in multiple environments, and that feels like it’s going to be highly adaptable and usable from a DJing point of view, but which is also a simply gorgeous home/car/anywhere else-listen too. Recommended.

⚪️ Almost Music Tracklisting

Land Of Echo: Almost Music (Wah Wah 45s / Vinyl + Digital)
1. What We Want feat. Kathy Diamond (04:45)
2. Lean Into Your Own Breath feat. Ayana Homma (03:53)
3. Never To Never feat. Kathy Diamond (05:29)
4. (Work It Out) Break It Up (03:49)
5. Dream With Me feat. Ayana Homma (04:56)
6. Don't Talk (Just Dance) feat. Kathy Diamond (05:58)
7. Freedom In Our Rhythm Parts 1 + 2 (08:22)
8. I Want (03:40)
9. Nothing But Time feat. Kathy Diamond (04:30)

⚪️ Disclosure Statement

This record was not submitted as a promo.

 

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