Ecstasy & Friends

After making waves with his 'Lemurian' long player and more recent tracks for Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Bubblers comp, Lone aka Matt Cutler delivers an album of lush woozy electro-hop prog with a soul-melted centre for Werk Discs. Lone blends Boards Of Canada styled 'lectronic nostalgia and Flying Lotus style funk-impressions, causing folks like Warp's Bibio to swoon "...he has a personality in his music that's vivid", with many favourable comparisons to everyone from Dilla to Madlib in respected corners of the music press. So is 'Ecstasy & Friends' any cop? Daamn right it is. From the jazzfunk licks and 'Twoism' strains of opener 'To Be With A Person That You Really Dig' through to the Dâm Funk-ed Linn-driven dreams of 'Endlessly' and the distant gazing reminisces of the gorgeous 'Twilight Switch', Lone has found a source of that hard-to-find special substance. You know, the kind of electronica that manages to hit the emotional-core head on? Even the title cheekily evokes images of an illicit but entirely innocent activity that sweetly sums up the honesty and beauty of Lone's achievements with this album. If Flying Lotus, Thriller Records, Joy Orbison or Bibio have touched your life at all, then you'll be able to justify a very smug look when you pick up this set. Lush, heavy and highly recommended!