Not for LeRoy the difficult second album. The Munich-based producer follows up his outgoing debut ‘Skläsh’, acclaimed for its imaginative blends of different styles, with the more thoughtful ‘Bambadea’. LeRoy has a different perspective from the norm, and as a result his soundscapes sound fresh, his musical styles an intriguing mesh of opposites that somehow manages to sound like nothing else. The rolling drums that propel the brilliant ‘Exposure’ are a good example, as is the dusty, open sound of the melancholic track ‘Half The Way’. ‘Coral Girl’ has a weirdly endearing shimmy, a kind of bossa nova v dub interface where nobody is an outright winner, but the resulting tension is oddly gripping. As a result of its warm weather styles, ‘Bambadea’ – while it works well in the cold January spell – is going to make a brilliant listen in summer too. Smoky, dusty and more than a little off-piste, it’s one of the most original new albums you’ll hear at the moment.
Ben Hogwood
5 out of 5
LEROY – BAMBADEA (FORCED EXPOSURE)
