As a listener, you will have to imagine the palm trees. For Australian label owner and producer Kevin Griffiths aka Jura Soundsystem they provide the backdrop when he works on new tracks in his home studio in Adelaide. Added to this are the calls of tropical birds, some of which have also made it onto the album thanks to the open studio doors, for example on the opener »An Interlude in Paradise«. Which does not necessarily make or break the music. More important are the main ingredients, soft synthesizer chords on »Return To The Island« with bright bell-like melodies and a beat kept at a moderate tempo. Griffiths combines them in the style of the tried and tested Balearic sound with basically minor variations, but still varied enough to avoid becoming monotonous. On »Crystal Voyager «, he even allows a few discreet acid sounds to creep in. What remains the same is the relaxed, summery optimism which each and every one of the eight numbers exudes. This is always a good thing to have, perhaps even more so than usual at the moment. Besides that, the term »downtempo« appear to fit in here unreservedly for once as well. At the end there is thunder and rain, but even that is not threatening, but rather refreshing amidst the languorous sunshine sounds.
Nicolas Jaar
Piedras 1 & 2
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