L-Vis 1990 - Neon Dreams (2011)

7/10


Sparkling debut LP which occasionally crosses the line between eclectic and unfocused

L-Vis 1990 certainly doesn’t hold back with his first full-length album. Among the styles which can be seen to influence Neon Dreams are house, electro, ‘90s dance, UK funky and the bass music scene which L-Vis seems to be lumped into right now. So how do these elements combine over a 56-minute record?

Sepalcure - Live at Fabric (4th February 2012)

In all honesty, seeing Sepalcure wasn’t the overriding motivation to go to Fabric on this Saturday night. Even before their 1.30am slot in the second room, taken over by Hotflush for the night, there had been some treats. George Fitzgerald was at work laying down his usual melange of house/garage/whatever. The main room was even better; Nina Kraviz providing techno of the highest order, driven by basslines both menacing and groovy, delighting a truly up-for-it crowd.

But Brooklyn’s Praveen Sharma and Travis Stewart provided the highlight of the night with a superb live set, showcasing the talent that has grabbed a lot of attention since first collaborating over a year ago. Much of this acclaim came about as a result of their recently-released LP, and some of the best tracks from it really stood out; “Breezin” was a delight to hear on a big system, while an extended version of lead single “Pencil Pimp” was the cause of much skanking and a few hands in the air.

Björk - Biophilia (2011)

7/10

Björk continues to innovate, sometimes at the cost of listenability

With all the hype around iPad app-songs and a complex live show featuring newly-invented instruments, you could almost forget the simple joy of anticipating a new Björk album. While the apps (designed to relate to the themes and sound of each song on the album) aren’t necessary to enjoy Biophilia, an appreciation for the craft behind the music does help.

Kito & Reija - Sweet Talk EP (2011)

7/10  

Aussie duo bring some very palatable dub-pop

The dubstep scene isn’t exactly flush with female producers, but Perth-based Kito created such a stir with her early work that she attracted the attention Skream, signing to his Disfigured Dubz label. She teams up with singer Reija Lee to bring us Sweet Talk, a four-track release with as much emphasis on the sweet-as-sugar vocals as the impact of the bass kick.