A beautifully nostalgic and uplifting record, ‘Lampin’ takes us back to the glorious era of acid jazz, transporting us all into a 90s-laden universe packed with elegance, lush instrumental solos and a great deal of funky grooves. What more could you wish for? You know what, we’d dare say that the listening experience behind ‘Lampin’ is refreshingly vibrant. While out of fashion, acid jazz always delivers its value in gold, especially for any keen jazz head out there.
Guiding such a powerful album, we find British musician and composer Synthonic, aka Kieron Garrett. Rallying a team of brave performers around him – Vasilis Xenopoulos, Jack Birchwood, Valere Speranza, and Jeremy Dunning, among others – Synthonic indulges in an old-school soulful jazz journey, one that’s packed with instrumental nuggets, but also vocal-powered efforts. ‘Tonight’ is the perfect evidence of that, with neo-soul voices weaved into hop-hop-esque beats and modern production flair.
Presented live at Sidmouth International Jazz & Blues Festival in late May, ‘Lampin’ is more akin to a time machine than a musical album. Simple yet impactful, the record borrows from an eclectic array of influences, eventually landing on a hypnotising formula that’s partly retro, partly modern. As Synthonic explains: “After several singles, an EP and album, I decided to go back to my roots for this release; that being the Acid Jazz scene of the 90s, but with a smattering of modern twists and production techniques.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Lampin’ on Spotify: