Gifted & Blessed At Juno Download

Review: In this quick-fix world it's a brave label that puts itself behind a 20-minute sprawl of experimental electronics, so hats must be tipped to Gifted & Blessed for having the conviction to put out this opus from lo-fi beat producers Gabe and Dakim. Arrhythmic beat pulses fuss over themselves while varying sweeps of tone and noise try to smooth everything out, unsuccessfully. The theme remains constant throughout, simply degrading slowly over the course of the track until it reaches a single sombre note which enjoys a good few minutes in which to quietly modulate itself to sleep.

Review: With a steadily rising profile, the modestly named Gifted & Blessed is making a splash with his sun-baked experiments. The LA resident definitely shares a common vibe with his West-Coast contemporaries even if the styles are separate, and this live set recorded in January 2012 further supports this. It's patently obvious that this is the work of live analogue tinkering, as languid ripples and tones cycle around themselves in a way that is a touch self-indulgent. What makes the recording work is that in the dreamy melodies contained within, a certain laid-back (i.e. Californian) mood quells any sonic abrasions to make for a very pleasant aural meditation.