The oceanic island of Australia is a hotbed for deep soulful music at the minute and thankfully there are no signs of things slowing down anytime soon. Emerging from its ever-maturing scene this time round is native Phil Stroud who, on evidence of his Soundcloud page, clearly upholds the notion of a long burner. His modest yet considered collection of work doesn’t shy away when it comes to playing out a groove, allowing you the time to let it really sink in.
We’re delighted to host Phil’s latest work which comes via Perth imprint Good Company Records. ‘Yemaja’, B-side on The Forsest/Yemaja EP, is named after the goddess celebrated by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The meditative ceremony opens with a congregation of African drums, above which a high pitched Dundun (talking drum) is heard sporadically sermonising. The addition of an instantly deep-rooted conga pattern is closely followed by dissolving chords delicately filtered through to the fore. A soft bass line along with half-time shakers add just the right amount of drive and resonance without disturbing the track’s soothing ambience, carrying you right through to the end.
GCR002 is released 3rd December on vinyl and digital – pre-order from Bandcamp.
