A new jazzy, soulful house album by a busy Russian producer turns out to be one of the best of 2013
While this year has been chock-full of great singles, decent albums have been in short supply – and the best have sprung from where you’d least expect them. Feel Good, by Los Angeles-based duo The Internet, was one welcomed surprise and So Many Ways, by Russian producer/DJ Lay-Far, is another. His album will no doubt sit beside The Internet’s as one of the best of 2013.
Lay-Far isn’t new to the music biz, having already released tunes on labels such as 4lux and Tru Thoughts, but So Many Ways is his debut on Glenview Records.
Although most tracks are of a quasi-soulful house variety, it’s Lay-Far’s ear for jazzy harmonies that really sets these tunes apart. Tracks like the bass-heavy instrumental Let Me Fly Away and the subtle melodies of A Piece Of Devotion also display Lay-Far’s skill for unearthing head-nodding grooves.
So Many Ways is released on October 30 2013 on Glenview Records. Vinyl junkies can get hold of it on a double LP, while other fans can download or buy the album on CD.