Souleance At Juno Download

Review: Hip-hop rooted French duo, Souleance (aka Fulgeance and DJ Soulist), haven't waited around since dropping their acclaimed debut album, La Belle Vie, last year. No sirree, they went straight back into the studio to conjure up this, a 20-track set aimed exclusively at the DJs. It's a sprawling collection of DJ tools and takes in an impressively broad selection of genres - Turkish breaks ("Sauce Samourai"), looped vintage funk ("BBQ & Pimms"), retro soul-rock ("La Californie"), chopped up Philly soul, Jay-Z-style ("Como Estan Bitches?") and even 80s electro-boogie ("Cocktail Time") - proving there's something for everyone here.

Review: Both as individuals and collectively under the Souleance pseudonym, French producers Fulgeance and DJ Souli have a rising reputation as fearless makers of bespoke MPC beats. Here they give a glimpse of their talents with a long-promised debut album for Leeds-based First World Records. La Belle Vie is a largely impressive concoction, offering a glitchy and cut-up but nevertheless smooth and soulful take on hip-hop beat science. There are nods to Latin, soul, funk and jazz flavours, a smattering of vocal tracks among head-nodding instrumentals, and more than a healthy dose of cheeky Gallic humour.

Review: Comprising Fulgeance and DJ Soulis, French duo Souleance make a big impact with "La Gourmandise" ahead of their full LP, La Belle Vie. Creating a tough, funky rock vibe with Dr John-style percussion and piano, "Schack" makes for a great opener. "Tryin'" on the other hand is a standout, almost Portishead-like pared-down beauty featuring a haunting female vocal over softly plucked electric guitars and some simple drums. A great sampler of what should be a very impressive LP indeed.