(F-Com/Creative Vibes)

The first thing that strikes you about this release is its presentation. The album cover and sleeves are amazing. Not your stock standard plastic case, it’s a custom job and you can tell a lot of thought went into its design. It features unique artwork from American artist Jeff Soto. Open it up and you are greeted with a disc featuring six tracks. ‘Don’t’ is a sort of mini-album, from two guys no one has ever heard of… yet. The music on Don’t is like nothing any one has heard before either.

Max and Gilles, the two halves of Vista Le Vie, met at a radio station towards the end of the 90s, and have created many experimental soundscapes in the years since. Hailing from very different musical backgrounds, they have created a highly unique fusion record. Gilles is a soul jazz prodigy with an ear for the Detroit sound, whilst Max’s musical heritage is skater hardcore and hip-hop. Through their studies at the conservatory of music in France, the musical masterminds behind Vista Le Vie honed their musical talents and these talents shine through on this, their debut E.P.

Don’t oozes charm, you can tell it’s an album made with love. There’s a lot of emotion in this album. Each song is like a piece of poetry. It’s the sort of music you can come home and relax to after the rough and tumble of a hectic day. A sublime mix of Jazz, guitars, pianos, and smooth electronics.

Refuse Resist is a beautifully understated song, rich in texture and full of lush and warm sounds that comfort and compel. Bamako is a squeaky and bubbly little tune guaranteed to please. Barbara Silverstone’s haunting vocals on A Curse She Cannot Win are divine. Delicious guitar work! Confessions of an addictive personality feature in Drunken Master, a downbeat live drum affair produced in collaboration with Black Joy. The soft piano and shuffle kicks on Back in the Pit are perfectly sequenced and create a stage of moody atmospherics.
Kids with Gloves is an acoustic reflection on a murder by young children, finishing off the E.P in inimitable style

It’s not the longest album in the world but each song seems to last twice as long as it does, thanks mainly to the passion and skill of their creators. I’ve heard a lot of music in my time, but these songs are spectacular in their attention to detail and polish. Warm and fuzzy, it’d make a great Christmas present. Music for your soul. Sharing is caring after all!