If “Beats, Strings & Life” isn’t on a t-shirt yet then I’m making one. That’s the title track from Shur-I-Kan’s new EP on Fred Everything’s Lazy Days record label and a better description of the deep house lover’s life I’ve rarely heard.
It helps that there’s already a soundtrack for it, one with huge chords, soul-with-strings and the faint tinkle of glass beads adding a shiver of glam to the mix. “Beats, Strings & Life” (the song) is a marvelous production, with a hook so polished the glare is almost blinding. Live percussion comes via Moodymanc and a live bass (played by Nick Cohen) holds the whole thing together with the precision of a Swiss timepiece.
There’s a rare “reprise” of the original here, bringing out those sonorous piano chords and the dance of fingers across a harp’s strings before everything else comes in all at once. The B-Side starts with the rugged, electronic twitch of “Bubblin’ Up,” followed by “Shut This Down” featuring vocals by Anna Stubbs — a kind of pastiche of broken beat records by Phil Asher, to whom it’s dedicated. Not for a second should you pause if and when you find a copy of this record, not until you’re past the checkout and safely at home with it.
Shur-I-Kan: Beats, Strings & Life (Lazy Days / July 2021 / 12″ Vinyl/Digital)
1. Shur-I-Kan: Beats, Strings & Life (06:01)
2. Shur-I-Kan: Bubblin’ Up (05:36)
3. Shur-I-Kan: Shut This Down feat. Anna Stubbs (04:42)
4. Shur-I-Kan: Beats, Strings & Life (Reprise) (03:35)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was not submitted as a promo.
This was originally published in 5 Mag issue 191: The Mission with Soul Clap, Nona Hendryx, 15 years of Burial & more. Support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.
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