Having been anointed as a 'tastemaker' by none other than über-tastemaker Gilles Peterson on his legendary BBC radio show, it was about time for Ennio Styles to get serious with his label Heard and Felt. Following the acclaimed download comps 'Stylin' 500' and 'Stylin' 600' (feat. Sampha, Amin Payne, Andras Fox, Fulgeance, Kirkis, RAah Project, etc), Ennio has turned to fellow Melbournian Cy Gorman for the first Heard and Felt physical and artist release, with LA's Daniel Crawford on the remix.
Props for the record are already coming in from Jazzy Jeff, Gilles Peterson, Kev Beadle, Michael Rütten, Soil & Pimp Sessions, Robert Luis (Tru Thoughts), Jon Kennedy and Scrimshire (Wah Wah 45s) adding to Cy's existing supporters like Mixmag, Diesler, Beyondjazz, KCRW (LA) and J-WAVE FM (Tokyo).
After laying down a highly unusual blend of latin, trap, G-funk and soul on a recent remix of London's Los Charly's Orchestra, Cy extends his palette further on 'Carmen'. Drawing on his skills as composer, producer, pianist, saxophonist and vocalist, the sound ranges from the feelgood synth-funk of 'Cool Change' and 8-bit baroque beats of 'Carmen San Diego' to the leftfield bossa of 'The Wishing Well' and smoky jazz club vibes of 'RDJ'. The latter gets a remix from Daniel Crawford, whose current album features Amp Fiddler and Vikter Duplaix. Daniel adds a warm and soulful touch, recalling the days of George Duke teaming up with Milton Nascimento.
The cover art offers a new take on the label's felt-themed artwork, with Sasha Adato's 8-bit design cross-stitched onto red felt by Natasha Zissermann.
For fans of fLako, Daedelus, Henry Wu, Mndsgn, Mo Kolours, Sa-Ra, Bullion, James Blake, Jonti, Mizell Brothers.