Ah, Summer, great isn't it?  Well maybe for about ten seconds when you glance that bit of Sun waving from behind a cloud that drops a continuous torrent of rain directly into your face.  If you're reading this and you're not in Manchester you may consider me delusional.  Perhaps this is the case but it's all I can think of when I listen to this new Oriol album. Put it this way, you can tell the guy was born in Barcelona.  You can also tell he is sick at music. 

Having studied it in Boston (apparently a good thing) you can tell there must have been a healthy wack of 70s Funk and 80s fusion in that studying because that's exactly what shines right out of this album in exactly the same way that the sun  doesn't here in Manc. Citing Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder as some major influences on his work it's obvious that
it also doesn't just stop there. 

This album is a testament to what you an do with completly different styles of music when you know what you're doing.  We've got this spacefunk sound going right through old house and techno into what we now lovingly know as the Drum and Bass and Dubstep genres. So let's get stuck into this feast of fun.

 'Joy FM' kicks off the album getting out some nice laid back rhythm and some funky moog to define exactly where this shiz is coming from. The electronic sounds of Detroit are right in the mix with this  and works incredibly well.  That's just the beginning, as you go further into the album there's just too many sounds to try and describe especially as for some sounds I don't even know how the hell they were made, they just sound like a mad wizard has eaten his guitar and keyboard and belched out  delirious, warm and funky tunage. 

Shay-Lo (Download) by oriol

If you're down for pure, happy and uplifting music this is about the point you realise you've come to the right place. 2nd track 'Spiral' for instance, jumps about with a little scratching in the background, vocal snippets and a mad flutey vibe runs it through like a friendly skewer.  Slap bass is predominant as well, keeping the funk throughout as the this track literally spirals out
towards the funkiverse. 

I don't know exactly how that makes sense but hopefully if you hear the track you too will be confused enough to understand. 'Memories' gets mega spaced out to begin with adding percussive goodness as it rolls along and the melodies trickle out like so much water  appearing outside my window right now. 

Variety is the key in this album, nothing stays the same for long like so many dance albums can.  So 2nd time round the spaced out synth comes in on 'Memories' we get some other top little vocal spread and more varied melody.  This just keeps things spicy. 

Getting that one good hook is important but to have them in abundance like this is well pleasing. 'Jam' has the sickest little funk fusion synth riff, you can practically smell the incense and see the long hair of a 70s funkadelic funkateer)  Seriously, it just manages to keep the right side of cheese aswell with gorgeous otherwordly sounds creeping in.
I'm guessing here that most of this has been recorded live in some form as opposed to using just samples.  

Oriol's musical background would suggest this.  Either the way the marrying of the two, as in live recording and sampling is killer.  It keeps things retro without falling in well worn schtick or pseudo rambling pyschedelia and updates proceedings with the electronic sound, reminiscent of stuff, say, Hud Mo would do but in no way emulating that sound, just tipping a nod to that kind of modern sound.

'The process' is a proper standout track with all these same elements mentioned before being in there but changing up the track halfway through with hints of Sitar gently drizzled over the top and changing up the beats to slow it down well.

'Flux', being just over halfway through starts with a 4/4 rhythm, throwing in snappy percussion for the head nod and stabs of that funk vibe.  It's a good turnaround track just so that you know you're not into the ride for purely the same kind of thing at all times. More drenching funkisms come through on 'Coconut Coast' with swooning synth, little bell chimes and a touch of some horns before you get a moogy solo stretchout.  Very chilled this one.  Definetly get a big glass of rum, some ice and maybe a bit of cocunut.  Maybe don't drink the cocunut. Just look at it and smile as you take this track in.  I rate that's what Oriol would want you to do.

So you've maybe done that (or possibly not because it sounds a bit mental) and now you're ready for the title track.  'Night and Day' gradually absorbs you, all warm synths and clever little samples.  Again, too much really to take in on first listen, leaving plenty to absorb on further checkings.  There's some mad warpy synth all over this track that holds it all together.  I almost don;t want to say too much about it because there's just loads to get you're teeth into. 

Going into more detail would be a bit like telling someone their adopted before their adoptive parents did.  So I won't, just trust that if you're down for the tracks so far you'll be well pleased with this refreshing quality music.

'Fantasy for N' includes more random musical flourishes, absolutly scintillating chimes and smooth flutey illness.  By this point you should just be absorbed in how much this album has to offer and if hasn't become clear by this point of reading, it very much has got me, especially the more I've listened to it.

'LW' is the endgame after that, a bit more uptempo again, strutting rhythm, a proper funk band piece in space.  Crazy vocals and chewed up samples are prevalent making it a well good tune to say goodbye with, alongside '5 Bars' which delivers more top 70s out synth bits getting ever more deranged as it progresses and all the time with a head nod, bob-type beat.

Now, as I said at the beginning, you're not going to like this album if you hate music.  Seriously, if white noise is more your thing or you perhaps like hanging out behind the backs of supermarket waiting to get run over by the delivery trucks...don't try this album. 

It's purely, grinning vibed out 70s/80s fusion electronic dopeness.  It's blatantly for the summer, hopefully if you get it you'll get to hear it under a massive, blistering Sun.  If for whatever inevitable reason that doesn't happen get some headphones and listen to it under a sundbed. 

Actually don't do that due to cancer bad risk (I've heard).  But do listen to it somewhere pleasant, it deserves multiple listenings, I think, especially if instruments are your thing.  Planet Mu just push things forward with this album as does Oriol somehow raidS the past to make good newness.  It's ill and I'm all over it .  Why not you try to, yes?

Yes.

RELEASE DATE: 19TH JULY 2010