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(4 Lux/Creative Vibes)
Dutch outfit Flowriders combine elements of broken-beat electronics, acoustic jazz instrumentation and uplifting soul vocals, the ten-piece musical collective orbiting around the nexus of producers Hartog Eysman and Vincent Helbers, who have both released individual acoustic jazz projects under the names Hartog & Martini and J Moods, respectively. After first crossing paths in 2000, the duo of Eysman and Helbers played their first gig together with a four-piece band in 2001 as support for UK act Lamb, and in 2003 hooked up with 4 lux head honcho Gerd, which lead to two Flowriders 12”s being released on his label, ‘Different Spaces’ and ‘Pheromone (with requisite reworkings from the likes of Bugz In The Attic, Quant and Gerd). This debut album ‘Starcraft’ from Flowriders through 4 lux showcases the latest incarnation of Eysman ands Helbers’ ever-evolving musical collective, which has now grown to a ten-piece outfit, with an array of talent such as soul vocalist Marilyn David, saxaphonist Joachim Staudt and Spearhead percussionist Joshua Samson on board.
Opening track ‘Soul Searchin’ places Marilyn David’s (star of Gerd’s recent ‘Boogie Bridge’ 12”) smooth yearning soul vocal over a backdrop of crisp Bugz In The Attic-esque broken-beat rhythms, jazzy keyboards, funk guitar bursts and warm, breathy flutes, before ‘Reggae Roots’ takes things down through smoky jazz horns and drumming percussion into warm downtempo nu-soul, warm male vocal harmonies circling around the female lead while soft-focus vibraphone tones and flutes play across the spidery hiphop beats. ‘Macy Miles’ grafts funk clavinets onto an undulating electro backdrop of clicking broken beats that’s bolstered by a fantastic male soul vocal and a backdrop of swooning jazz horns and Moogy keyboard stings, while ‘Pheromone’ breaks the dancefloor rhythms straight out with skittering Domu-style breakbeats clinging tightly to some liquid jazz-funk synths, loungey keyboards and soaring vocal harmonies.
‘Darkness Into Light’ ventures out into smooth downtempo synth-soul, with swelling brass rising up around crisp drum machine beats and percussion loops, a slight hiphop ambience wandering underneath its elegant jazz-piano chords and Philly-soul vocal harmonies, leading into ‘C-Frique’s smooth blend of rolling downtempo funk percussion and wandering jazz vintage keyboards. ‘Nerd Rock’ injects some hiphop swagger with a clicking backdrop of programmed beats underpinned by lazy jazz guiat chords, smooth male RnB/soul vocals and shimmering Moogs, before ‘My Crazy Vein’ takes things down through gentle acoustic guitar tones and spiralling synths over a laidback backdrop of stuttering broken beats, breathy vocals swinging from beat to beat as a rich carpet of warm jazz horns rear their head in the background. ‘J&B’ wanders through lush jazzy instrumental textures, warbling funk synths and rich jazz horns colliding with a skittering backdrop of broken beats, trilling jazz keyboard solos and sliding electronics, before ‘Gentle Wan’ brings this album to a close amidst drum and bass rhythms, rolling snares propelling their way alongside wheezing double bass and chiming guitars, acoustic elements bending their way fluidly across the rigid programmed beats.
‘Starcraft’ is an excellent debut album from Flowriders that eloquently demonstrates the firm grip Eysman and Helbers have upon some diverse tangents of nu-soul, ranging from more dancefloor-oriented broken-beat moments that would do the likes of Seiji and Bugz In The Attic proud, to some more downtempo smooth moments that blur the edges of RnB. Fans of the likes of Bugz, Jazzanova and Nuspirit Helsinki should definitely give this lil’ beauty a listen. Recommended.
Check out http://www.flowridersmusic.com and http://www.4lux.com.
