Various Backroom Beats 2 Backroom Beats / Twisted (UK)

In the second compilation from Backroom Beats, master of chillage Ed Bigland has selected a proper bunch of laid back cuts, funky dubbiness, and happygrooving hammock twisters. The Egg kick off with Lost At Sea, nice stuff with mellow vocals, lazy beats, nice melodies and a nice beach bar vibe.  Contraband then slide in with two offerings, Humanise which is smooth dubby funk spoiled for me by the sound of a gurgling baby (the last thing I want on a spliff-chill-marathon is a reminder of my real reason for being on this planet, and that I should settle down and start taking life seriously.) Their second track, Brazil, is a much more irresponsible number, with a west coast grooviness about it that’s hard to shake. Tristan’s Sapphire Eyes fits well with it’s chummy bassline, and Esion Jim’s Halcyon Daze is perfect for driving across the Californian desert. Hypersonic Whomen’s Easy Does It opens the album up with an easy 4-4, Gaudi’s Chaine A Chaine is nice trip hop for a trip to the shops, and Ott’s Joyful Wonder is a belter. Epic stuff, loads of sounds everywhere, and with an album on the way it looks like he could be on the verge of a bit of a breakthrough. Simon Posford, Andrew Interchill and Michelle team up as Gargoyles for Spacebaby: Michelle’s vocals possibly the best yet, Posford’s swirly percussion, all under Andrew’s mission to slow the global pulse rate by 10-15bpm. It takes you up, and then it’s just down to Heirophant’s Need To Know to ease you back into a reality that’s more succulent than it was before. Good stuff, and the way the album progresses from beach bar stuff, to full psychedelic where-are-my-shoes before going back again, is staggering. Deserves the lot of listens you’ll be giving it.