Project Mooncircle continue the quality of their releases with the new full length album from Lambent. This time delving into a more wonky world of futuristic hip hop, warm organic sounds with a Dilla-esque approach to his beat making.
The obvious comparisons could be applied here, Dilla, Flying Lotus and Dabrye, but Lambent has his own sound, one far more soulful in many ways, warm keys and sweet melodies twist and weave around the skewed beats. As with some wonky stylings, Lambent doesn’t fall into the trap of the beats been too disjointed, becoming to wonky to dance to, as some of the copyists seem to become guilty of, after all, I still want to be connected to a rhythm, not forced to accept an unnatural one.
Highlights from the album are “Wish”, “Resemblance”, both as sweet as any Flying Lotus productions, “I Am Alright”, which has a psychedelic soul flavour extracted from the future. “Norm” and “Hook Rip” have all the trademarks of Sheffield electronics coupled with the bass culture of today, two of my favourites from the album, the later reminding me of intricate textures pioneered by experimenters Autechre. “Scaler” lays down a hard beat as good as Dabrye or Mark Pritchard, while “Night Woose” has a futuristic afro rhythm with looped harp segments bringing the warmth felt from legends such as Alice Coltrane.
What could be discarded along with other ‘wonky’ releases, Smoothness Extract steps out on its own, showing its soul as something a lot more, full of warmth and heart, intricate melodies and subtle beat scapes, full of hidden treasures to behold. Project Mooncircle deliver yet again, a label showcasing some of the worlds finest new talent, given to us as usual in exquisitely designed packaging and artwork.
Wayne Stronell
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