Boom Clap Bachelors are proof that, somewhere out there, a new, unexplored world exists. They know something we don’t. And quite kindly, with their sophomore effort Kort Før Dine Læber, this Copenhagen collective of producers and musicians have decided to take our hand and lead the way.

This is future electronic soul; warm, touching, inspirational music. We can link it with another forward-leaning Danish group Owusu and Hannibal, whose Living With… album flashed more of Prince’s raspberry beret than is present here but otherwise bears many similarities, partly the inclusion of Robin Hannibal in both groups. For the most part, both releases are a comfortable tempo; they amble along, beats slumping over, all too aware of the beauty of their soundscapes. Think the ambience of Royskopp with some Dilla thump and serious synth work. Both could be the soundtrack to a sunrise, and Owusu’s effort, with kids singing and birds chirping, possibly was. Certainly the optimism of a new day is captured here. And then we have the vocals, with Boom Clap having opted to record solely in Danish. In this context the voice takes a different role, becoming another instrument amongst the arrangement. It draws our attention to the beauty and complexity of these songs, and as such allows the whole release a certain freedom. Bachelorhood if you will.

So, at dawn we arrive. By all accounts it’s a stunning day. Forar Til December, with it’s laser squelchs and sweeping strings could melt snow. The Gilles Peterson championed Combiner is uplifitng, breathy Danish vocals making little sense but beautiful nonetheless. Glitchy by track’s end, it’s as if they knew it all sounded too perfect and just had to be roughed up a touch. Both Lide Dig and Ring Til Mig hint at a Dilla, Detroit-like slump, with strong synths and a chill that suggests sex and a sleep-in on Sunday morning. Speaking of bed, Viggevise is a kind of cyborg lullaby, the interlude track you wish was longer that actually is, and finds us soon awakened by the lo-fi tsunami of a chorus on Hvor Vi Henne. Boom Clap play minimal on La Glace, with an urgent, pulsing baseline the first real indication of any trouble in paradise. There’s a similarly watchful tempo during the wonky Oriental chops of Kommer Aldrig, but we know by the melancholic, sunset sounds of Tiden Flyver that danger has passed. The end of a memorable day is signaled by the moon-boot music of Magi that, instead of returning us to reality, only hints at further exploration.

Alongside artists like Lykke Li, Freddie Cruger, and Kissey Asplund, Scandinavia has been fresh. This is no exception, and provides another insight into the startingly diverse sound coming from the region. These are Bachelors by name only, for make no mistake, this work has the degree of class and intelligence that makes one a Master. Superb.