LAY-FAR – SO MANY WAYS – ALBUM REVIEW
Released by:
Glenview Records Inc
Release/catalogue number:
GVRLP004
Release date:
7 November 2013 for USA
11 November for Europe and ROW
These are CD version snippets,
Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Let Me Fly Away (with Dragon)
3. Stand Up (with Pete Simpson)
4. A Little Faith (with Peter Oakden)
5. Can’t Deny (with Souled & Yannah Valdevit)
6. Futuristic Interlude
7. Yes You Can
8. Seaside Interlude
9. Summer Vacation (with Yannah Valdevit)
10. We Are The Drum
11. When I’m seeing you (with Vicky Flint)
12. That Dream
13. A Piece Of Devotion
14. So Many Years (with Sarah Winton)
15. Outro
Selected feedback:
OSUNLADE: “Love the record. Full of surprises. Choice pick is “Yes You Can” however I really enjoyed the entire soundtrack..great job! Congrats.”
MAD MATS (LOCAL TALK / GAMM): “Lay-Far is young man but with mature musical taste that hits all the right spots. With a jazzy foundation Lay-Far explores house, funk, and boogie with a touch electronic fun. One thing is sure, I’ll be playing this album for a long time!”
RAINER TRUBY (Compost Records): “What a great album Lay-Far has to offer. Loving the tunes. On a high musical level indeed….! Jazz is the teacher & soul is the preacher, with a contemporary twist!”
VOLCOV aka ISOUL8 (NEROLI): “So-far So good! Great debut album from Lay-far, full support!”
ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ: “Lovely jazzy album! Really hard to pick a favorite tune as its really nice as a whole. Thanks for
this!”
KUNIYUKI TAKAHASHI: “I feel what he doing by music with soul. Very nice and beautiful! Music always.”
….and more support from the likes of Simbad, Kev Beadle, Jonny Miller (Southport Weekender), Tyler Askew, etc.
WHAT WE THINK
Lay-Far first caught our ears when Kev Beadle started playing some of his CDR promos a few years back. He was an instant hit for all involved with Groovement Soul and the musical love affair has grown ever since.
Looking at the tracklist for So Many Ways you’ll notice many already established and respected artists featured and there are many more queuing up to collaborate with Lay-Far in the future.
His musical influences are as varied as the end resulting sound with a nod to Jazz, a strong Soul twist and plenty of head deepness being dished up too.
This album is an instant classic and we will be playing it for a long time to come.
SLEEVE NOTES
Several years in the making, “So Many Ways” is the artistic manifestation of one’s own freedom, the attempt to reflect the diversity of the world around us, the countless opportunities, scenarios and creative means we all have. It’s a breath-taking soulful journey, where uplifting house tracks (Let Me Fly Away, A Little Faith, Can’t Help It) interchange with serious political messages (Stand Up), romantic dance ballads (Summer Vacation, A piece of Devotion, So Many Years), infectious jazzy grooves (Yes You Can, When I’m Seeing You), introspective bangers (That Dream, We Are the Drum) and ironic interludes, making fun of trends and consumerism culture. Drawing his influences from mid 70’s jazz and funk, Brazilian fusion, electroacoustic music, afrobeat, soul, hip-hop and mixing them together in a very unique, mysterious manner (like only Russians can do), Lay-Far managed to create a comprehensive, multi- layered piece of work, which is sure to satisfy the trinity of body, mind and spirit! Essential listening for the fans of warm, analogue, organic and deep sound!
FROM THE GROOVEMENT SOUL VAULTS:
HERE IS A MIX ALEX DID FOR OUR PODCAST OVER 2 YEARS AGO
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