Avia

Already receiving recognition in his homeland France and the UK and tooted by the likes of Laurent Garnier and Richard Dorfmeister, Pierre Avia has now conjured up a lovely gem of electronic eclecticism in I See That Now… Avia is not bound by any genre categorisation, but in general, he’s whipped up an album where down-tempo beats mix with jazzy instrumental melodicism to end up with a surprisingly uplifting yet mellow warm atmosphere. Vocal samples are used sparingly and cleverly disguised (such as a Debut-era Björk wail), while Raz O’Hara of Kitty-Yo contributes to "Love and Rise.” The result is an uncluttered, tasteful set of soulful, chilled-on-ice soundtrack to those lazy summer Sundays. Keep your eyes and ears open for his name to pop up around these parts, especially now that he’s contributed to the music for the Quebec film hit Les Invasions Barbares.