(Downtempo, Lounge, Lo-Fi, Beat, Funk) Flevans - 27 Devils + The 28th Devil (Remixes) - 2009, MP3 (tracks), 320 kbps

A melting pot of styles and sounds, glorious songs and dancefloor bombs,
multi-instrumentalist Flevans third album sees him going totally sample-free
and taking the plunge into full live instrumentation, with stunning results. 27
Devils is laden with irresistible hooks and dotted with charismatic vocal
performances from guest stars Sarah Scott and Shona Foster, and Flevans himself.
27 Devils, an album alive with contrasts and surprises of the sonic variety,
also occupies a paradoxical territory in Flevans career, representing a giant
leap forward in creativity but also a revisiting of roots and a sense of
homecoming in more figurative terms, as Flevans was originally one of the first
artists on the Tru Thoughts roster way back in the early days. Attracting the
labels attention initially through his innate dancefloor sensibility and talent
for a tasty hook, combined with an unabashed use of eccentric and quirky
samples, he produced a series of dancefloor-delighting 12"s between 2001 and
2004, which brought him considerable attention and culminated in the
well-received 2004 album Make New Friends. Now, having spent the intervening
years DJing at some of the worlds best parties including Turntables on the
Hudson, the MTV Cannes Film Festival Party and The Big Chill - not to mention
releasing his second album, Unfabulous, on Jack To Phono records in 2007 -
Flevans finds himself back in the Tru Thoughts stable with a new three album
deal in his pocket and by far his most accomplished work to date on the horizon.
As a multi-skilled musician who plays guitar, bass and piano among other
instruments, Flevans had always incorporated some of his playing skills into his
music, but until recently did not fully explore his potential, relying on that
trusty cut and paste basis for his previous records. In 2008, ready for a new
challenge, he lent his bass playing skills to acclaimed Brighton band Backini
with whom he played at Glastonbury Festival, laid down a Maida Vale session for
Rob da Bank (BBC Radio 1) and recorded an album at Abbey Road Studios. His
experiences in the band re-ignited his love for the buzz of playing live.
Running with this inspiration, Flevans took the bold decision to liberate
himself from the several thousand-strong collection of records which he had
lovingly collected and on which he had relied for themes and beats in the past,
opting to go it alone and exercise the full reaches of his considerable talent.
Composing and playing every note on 27 Devils himself, he ventured further
into uncharted territory by singing on a few tracks as well, and employed the
uniquely beguiling talents of guest vocalists Sarah Scott and Backini
collaborator Shona Foster, who each infuse this heady brew of sounds with their
own indispensable magic.
An album that simply demands to be heard, 27 Devils is an addictive listen
from a major talent -full of surprises and bursting at the seams with catchy pop
hits in the making.