REDINHO

On his first album, Redinho finds the perfect solution to being out of step – creating his own world to fit into. Across 15 tracks, including acclaimed past singles ‘Searching’ and ‘Stay Together’, Redinho conjures up visions of the deep sea, deep space, not­so­deep jacuzzi parties and everything between, binding them together into an aesthetic that's both stylish and starry­eyed. Drum machine­driven ‘80s funk is a key influence here, as it always has been with Redinho and Numbers, but where Redinho excels is how sublimely he combines it with other genres: the 'hey' chants and drum patterns of Atlanta hip­hop on ‘Playing with Fire’, Detroit techno on ‘Shem’, the freeform dreamscapes of ‘Bubbles’, 707­driven Chicago house on ‘Going Nowhere‘ and downtrodden electronica on ‘Say I Want You’.

It only takes a few tracks to realise that Redinho’s studied the ‘80s, and the sounds and dynamics that make that style work, but this is far from a throwback album. With a masterful modern sheen and links to contemporary pop and hip­hop, it’s hard to imagine it being released any time but now.