‘Friends In Far Away Places’ is the debut long player from cinematic groove merchants Laroca. A heady mix of lush electronica, world flavours and muted beats, this impressive debut is the result of a sonic adventure embarked upon by the brother duo of Rob and Olly. When Laroca formed they were mainly electronic but the introduction of more live instruments have gelled into a unique sound. For ‘Friends In Far Away Places’, Laroca went on to enlist additional musical talents of vocalist Anna Snowman (Fiona Renshaw), Ricky Fabulous on guitars, Matt Derbyshire on Rhodes and Mr Smiff (Breakin Even) on congas. Inspired by the likes of Quantic, Lemon Jelly, Thievery Corporation and the Catskills label, Laroca’s sound is reassuringly chilled yet funky, symphonic, soulful, and layered, drawing on world influences ranging from Sufi to Afro-Beat. The live shows are enhanced by the video wizardry of VJ Myogenic (Ulrich Schnauss, Gilles Peterson) where you can catch them at the Big Chill Festival this summer. The albums highlights include ‘Generalife’, a Sufi-tinged filmic affair, Laroca’s signature tune ‘Looking Like Lions’ and the hypnotic ‘Plage Lodo’, inspired by a trip to Corsica, the laid-back muted beats and floating flute conjure up images of pure white beaches and it’s the blend on this album between electronic and musicianship mixed into a melting pot of world influences which makes this a wonderful and unique album.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Martin Madigan
