(Level Two Music/Stomp)

Hi Fi Mike floats effortlessly upstream in every regard. His debut album Swim: In The Deep brings together some of Australia’s finest into a lush melodic orgy of organic and orgasmic sounds. Featuring guest vocalists Steve Kilby of The Church and Inja Liljestrom, his album is an luxuriously rich, cinematic at times, jazz-infused and a superb Australian experience. Parallels can easily be made to the likes of Bjork and Portishead.

Five years ago, Mike Wells set himself the task of writing an album that would reflect the kind of music that he was about. Influenced by musicians including Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis, Wells began the long road to his debut album Swim: In the Deep. Every track on the album is different and of the highest quality, there’s just so much talent, emotion and feeling packed into just 8 tracks, needless to say there are no fillers

I open the album; insert the disc, sound rushes through my ears, before long Mike has made a lasting imprint. The world should have a pen and paper ready. ‘I’ll Carry You’ is outstanding. The opening track features world-class vocal work (rivaling Bjork) of Inga Liljestrom fused flawlessly with lush wet melodies that wash over you lazily; your eyelids cannot help but fall as your upstairs journeys effortlessly to a happier place. Realising the potential of this angel, Mike has produced the all important film clip to assist the tracks rise to the top.

Next up ‘Secretly Watching Me’ embodies a vibe not unlike Kinobe’s ‘Summer In The Studio’. Deep chords and melodies of a thousand layers wash over smooth vocals and varied vibes. The presence of Sydney’s iOTA is obvious in this track. ‘Underexposed’ is like an intriguing work of art. Lofty dreaming melodies with a dark piano line and deep bass wrap unsettled vocals to make a masterpiece that is beautifully contradictory; goosebump material.  

Steve Kilby of The Church lends melancholic yet removed vocals to the fluid drums of the ‘Long Way Home’. Emotions run high as the tracks elements wash over you yet somehow are deeply affecting. This is true testament to the outstanding ability of Mike Wells. ’It’s The Kill’ plays like a film score; it’s enchanting, complex and has real direction. The bass builds as we reach the lonely ‘Desert Karma’; subtle electro under-vibes, laced with hypnotic vocals give this track a mediation feel. Closing with the dancefloor friendly funk-textured ‘Infidelity Now’ Mike lets us know it’s not only chilled melodic beats he’s all about, there’s more.

Summing up, the two years Mike Wells spent in his King’s Cross studio in Sydney are well worth it. Sit back, relax and let the sounds of Hi Fi Mike wash over you.