Rekid

Rooted mainly in digging up sought after rarities and reissuing the deserving classics, Soul Jazz occasionally surprises the faithful with new album releases, and such is the case for Rekid’s debut album. The alias of one Matt Edwards (aka Radio Slave), who’s worked with Hell, Talking Heads, Kate Bush, and is most famous for the Kylie/New Order mash-up, Made In Menorca is an ambitious effort that finds the producer/DJ using a smattering of everything. Rekid’s varied palate honestly doesn’t cause the music to suffer; the constant change in wind is never a drastic transition. He’ll drop some cosmic disco à la Lindstrom with "Retro Active,” an ode to Miami Vice on "85 Space” that would make Jan Hammer proud and "Nite,” a certified Daft Punk homage. Most of all though, Made In Menorca specialises in throwing all sorts of jaw-dropping surprises into the mix that border mostly on Warp-approved idiosyncratic IDM and dense, futuristic hip-hop beatscapes that leave plenty of air to breath in between each other. Though primarily more of a club record for lounging than dancing, Rekid’s debut reveals his masterful stroke at crafting a slick, shapely full-length that rarely misses its marks.