Monkey_Sequence.19
Pretend

Produced entirely using iPhone and iPad apps, the latest LP from future-soul mainstay Steve Spacek is a quirky and inventive exploration of his musical roots, which run deep within the storied dance music scenes of Chicago, Detroit, and London.The album opens with “Rawl Aredo,” a sleek, grooving deep house jam guided by Spacek’s whispery vocals and electric piano chords that are twisted and warped by an envelope filter. “Waiting 4 You” pairs soft, jazzy organ chords with a lo-fi synth bass, placing it firmly within the same sonic sphere as Larry Heard circa Sceneries Not Songs. “Where We Go,” a high-energy vocal anthem, is a gorgeous reboot of the early ’00s broken beat sound, melding a bouncing kick-clap-rimshot pattern with synths and a devastating bassline. “Tell Me” is slightly darker; Spacek’s longing vocals are set dead-center, and the synths and effects that swirl around them create a haunting atmosphere. “African Dream” lays a joyful, minimal vocal over a backing track where bass and percussion are constantly warped with panning and filtering effects. The end result is less a “song” and more of an ever-changing sonic environment.Bonus track “Child Insperation” distills all of the influences Spacek draws upon throughout Houses. With its driving, 4/4 kick drum, electronic handclaps, deep bassline, and Spacek’s own heavily reverberating voice, the song feels like a winking callback to house music’s past—and a reminder of the liberating, revelatory feeling it can generate on the dancefloor.

Prince’s Musicology is available on purple vinyl for the first time for a new generation of true funk soldiers to discover! This classic 2004 album, released just after Prince’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had millions grooving thanks to modern classics like “Musicology,” “Call My Name” and “Cinnamon Girl.”