Hear And Now - Spirit Zone

Somewhere along the line, Gabriel le Mar went off on one. Evident on his previous two albums Gab’s Lab and Gab’s Gift, he found a style all of his own, and always seemed a bit like the quiet kid in class silently plotting to take over the world. Anyway, my paranoia aside, Hear And Now comes after a 2-year break, and it’s an incredibly fresh-sounding techno-trance-experimental hybrid, drawing in influences from world music, electro, ambient and all with a heavy dose of live instruments. Experience The Lightness is a wonderfully restrained opener, while In Some Other’s Life picks up the pace with a housey, dance-all-night vibe. Machine Karma, as its name suggests, is a tricky fusion between old and new, featuring live didgeridoo over staccato techno rhythms, and Right From The Heart is a catchy leftfield/electro number featuring German singer and producer George DIN. Le Mar’s more reflective, experimental and spiritual side is prevalent on Find A Passage To India, and on two sublime tracks featuring a host of Indian musicians, Journey To Eurasia and Hear And Now. The dubby worldstomper vibe of Travelogue is a delight, and with the semi-chilled, semi-breakbeat bliss of Into Deep, this is an album of depth and intricacy which is geared less to the dancefloor and more to your lounge, beach spaceship or hammock.