Having released on several of the UK’s hottest indie imprints (Jalapeno Records, Tru Thoughts, LOA Records) as well as having music featured on labels including Ninja Tune and Ministry of Sound, the music of multi-instrumentalist Flevans has freely immersed itself in funk, soul, breaks, electronica, house and disco without ever settling on a singular sound or style.
Signing in the first instance to the renowned Tru Thoughts imprint in 2003 alongside Bonobo, Quantic & TM Juke, Flevans’ debut EP’s for the label sold out in record time. His first album for the label ‘Make New Friends’ debuted to critical acclaim, a hot pot of summery samples, dance floor beats and original arrangements.
His next two albums ‘Unfabulous’ (Jack to Phono) and ’27 Devils’ (Tru Thoughts) saw him gradually shift away from the sample heavy leanings of his earlier work, and move towards a more organic sound with Flevans playing keys, bass, guitar and even the odd vocal across these releases. Flevans also toured the world as a DJ supporting these albums, playing gigs in the USA, Australia, Japan and across Europe.
2016’s LP ‘A Distant View’ (LOA Records) saw a return to his roots, showcasing an array of instrumental funk, soul and downtempo tracks, which displayed his compositional and multi-instrumental confidence. One of the key tracks from the album, 'Reach Out' featured on the Craig Charles Funk & Soul compilation and had reviewers saying “’Reach Out’ is funk at its finest. Think Galactic, The Meters, Sly & The Family Stone, Funkadelic... The energy on this one is palpable....”
2018 saw Flevans arrive at his spiritual home of Jalapeno Records. His 5th LP ‘Part-Time Millionaire’ saw him furthering his trajectory of song-led compositions, including more collaborations than ever with the talented Elliott Cole, Laura Vane, Sarah Scott, and Izo FitzRoy all lending their vocals to the record. The album features the track ‘Invisible’ which he co-wrote with Laura Vane and has racked up well over 2 million streams on Spotify alone. The project also had hundreds of BBC National Radio spins from a varied band of supporters.
Flevans’ work ethic saw him swiftly return to the studio to strike while the iron was hot and after dedicating months to writing and recording he delivered the follow up ‘Accumulate’ a brilliant and much lauded album which was released during the difficult time in 2020 when touring and promotion was nigh on impossible.
His third album for Jalapeno, ‘A Short Distance To Fall’ was penned during these difficult couple of years and was released in 2022 - the album saw Flevans return to utilising samples alongside his live playing to create a wonderful and varied lo-fi instrumental LP. The album saw radio support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Steve Lamacq, The Blessed Madonna and Craig Charles as well as significant support across the globe.
And so, hurtling towards his 20th year in the game and still handsome as ever, Flevans returns to Jalapeno with his 8th and most accomplished LP to date - ‘Stand Tall’ - a natural progression from ‘A Short Distance…’ but more forward thinking, ‘Stand Tall’ takes in numerous styles and sounds from downtempo to disco, heavy beats to Drum & Bass - all delivered with that positive, rich and musical style that Flevans is renowned for. Get involved!
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