Leftfield Recommendations September 2010

Review: We've been swimming in Luke Abbott's debut album since it landed on our desks this week. As one would expect from a member of the vaulted Border Community family, it's a record steeped in melody, gentle yet strong, perfect for at-home headphone escapism. Abbott is a master of kosmische, and on Holkham Drones he creates a lush soundscape that is psychedelic and richly textured, with similarities to be found in the work of modern contemporaries James Holden, Allez Allez and Four Tet. "Whitebox" is an intense swirling track that showcases the Norfolk producer's love of analogue equipment, while "Trans Forest Alignment" starts like a moodier version of LCD Soundsystem's "Losing My Edge" before submerging itself beneath a sea of melodic keys and atmospheric synth washes. Everything here is assembled using the most delicate of sounds, from the moody vibe of "Sirens For The Colour" through to "Brazil", which shines like a beacon of hope, while the ambient fuzz of "Dumb" offers one of the album's most moving moments. One of the finest releases of 2010 without a doubt.