Having provided the soundtrack for many memorable moments at Splore parties and the like for a number of years, Substax finally touch down with their debut full-length; a veritable cornucopia of warming beats and bass for the chilly winter months. Primarily regarded as a breaks outfit (Timmy Schumacher cut his production teeth with Substax), Electro Soul Plane opens up the field to include a wide array of styles, all undertaken with considerable aplomb. Claudia Gunn is a newer addition to the outfit, and her vocal contributions help make this album what it is. Take the achingly beautiful ‘Drifter’, a coastal groover that is the soundtrack of lost days gone by and the best tune Groove Armada never made. Then there’s the Laurie Anderson nod of ‘Headlights’, pairing Gunn’s soaring vocals over some seriously soulful electronic wizardry (if there is such a thing as epic downbeat this track is it). A well rounded album that tackles a diverse range of styles and does it well proper.
August 2005
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