Francis Harris

Francis Harris usually goes by the moniker Adultnapper, but for his latest release he decided appropriately, and at the last minute, to use his name for this deeply personal record. A tribute to his father, who passed away exactly two years ago, Leland is a mesmerising album of tastefully jazz-infused deep house that exudes incredible warmth. The music features micro-rhythms layered with muted free-jazz trumpet, close-mic'ed acoustic drum samples and occasional pianos and cello, the two latter instruments brought to the forefront on the almost Basinski-esque requiem of "McCleod." Danish singer Gry Bagøien (aka Gry) lends her impressive vocal talents to several tracks and with her sultry, smoky timbre, she sounds like a modern day Dinah Washington. Melancholic and beautiful, Leland is full of meticulously crafted details, with a subtle use of field recordings and ambient textures. For example, "Picture This" (one of a couple of deeper, more danceable tracks), contains a nostalgic sample of the roar of kids in a some huge indoor space. It's not often that a house record is able to bring such simultaneous joy and sadness, and it's not just because of the subject matter.