Every now and then we lay our ears on something extra special, unique in its sound and direction. And 20-year-strong East London independent record label Lo Recordings (K15, Mr G, Luke Vibert, Susumu Yokota) have the privilege of releasing this ‘something extra special’, with the debut record from London newcomer World Air.
Some of you may have already been bowled over by World Air’s heat-sweltering house edits of Ned Doheny that popped up last month, and now we’ve been treated to Air’s World Vol. 1 – a five-track brilliance that sits between Dominique Dumont’s aquatic bubble-music and Len Leise’s sunset exotica. Painting a pastoral paradise with ambient electronics, Mr Air’s dexterity for stripped-back soundscapes makes you feel like you’re on some tropical space island, taking the warmth of balearic music and massaging it into a cosmic lo-fi house backbone.
It was hard to pick any favourite off the release, but ‘Yard Man’ is certainly a highlight. Beginning with tapping toms that channel Caribbean dub, glowing organs emit perky melodies and R&B-like riffs. Everything seems doused with tape-delay modulation, giving it that Boards of Canada/VHS likeness, with ‘Yard man’ warped vocal samples swimming in dub echo. Ladies and gentlemen, this is tropical synaesthetics at its finest.
World Air’s ‘Air’s World Vol.1‘ is available now on vinyl and digi, but be quick on the wax, it’s sure to sell out.
