Monsieur Leroc

Producer Arne Drescher is Monsieur Leroc, a man who clearly loves his funk as much as he does vintage custom cars. Le Slow Motion Boogie Woogie lives up to its name with spot-on accuracy; boogie woogie organ and rhythms are featured prominently in the Monsieur's easy does it creations. "Monsieur's Theme" is a slow, driving slab of tripped out instrumental funk featuring extended keyboard chords, swerving bass lines and steady drum samples. Guest vocalist Laszlo Loco is a significant contributor, with his falsetto gracing the jazzed up, swampified blues of "Le Odensaque" and the successful, soulful trip-hop take on Al Green that is "I Think I." Loco also shines when vocally channelling a trumpet throughout "Une Boogie Pour Faye," a definite highlight with its boogying keys, live sax and jazzy drum loops. Freeing the album from relying too heavily on similar sounds, flavours and especially beats, "Unten Ohne" shines through with more up-tempo jazzy breakbeats lending a Latin feel. Here the organ chords and playful playing remind alternately of a cocktail lounge or cartoon chase scene. Though Le Slow Motion Boogie Woogie gets occasionally bogged down by repetitive drum programming and patterns, its slinky sounds makes for a nice, chilled ride. Check also for the Monsieur's artwork via www.cosmicart.com.