UPFRONTBEATS

October 2019 will see Matt Tolfrey return with a second full length artist album, All Shapes And Different Sizes, on his own Leftroom label. Featuring artwork by Matthew Dear, the 11 track album is preceded in the first week of September by lead single ‘Fantasy’ featuring Shaun J. Wright.

This most absorbing and floor facing album comes seven years after his debut, and finds the long time house and techno talent returning to his roots. It is characterised by a more minimal, hypnotic style that draws on his early years as an afterparty DJ and love of left of centre grooves. The production is brilliantly undercooked yet warm, with supple and seductive rhythms like ‘Late Night Business’ doing exactly what it says on the label, and the off kilter ‘Daddy Creepcakes’ layering up playfully freaky synths and kinetic house drums.

Elsewhere, Tim Fuller, who recorded on DJ Ali’s Classic ‘You Don’t Know’, (one of Tolfrey’s all time favourite tracks) features on the slick and bumping ‘How It’s Gonna Be,’ while Lil Mark’s voice adds an intriguing element to the manic Detroit minimalism of ‘Under The Skin.’ ‘Feel The Same’ is a high pressure track with spinning hats, filtered vocals and busted bass stabs that sweep you up and carry you along for a thrilling ride, while the last and most special guests are Tolfrey’s daughter Beau, who features on deep closing cut ‘Jus’ Get Down’, and newborn baby girl Arla Tait who arrived when the album was being finished in December and stars on the kinetic, Gemini-style house of ‘London Road’.

The single ‘Fantasy’ features revered vocalist Shaun J Wright, who lends his darkly seductive vocal musings to the track’s bubbling, absorbing and tightly woven drums and bass. It’s a fine taste of the album and is one that will put Matt Tolfrey very much back in the critical spotlight where he belongs.

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