PAXTON FETTEL Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Theo Conrad (better known for his work under the Paxton Fettel alias) has long been one of Greta Cottage Workshop's most intriguing artists. His first full-length for the Devon imprint, Everything Stays The Same, inhibited similar territory to the classic deep house/downtempo/soul/jazz fusion of fellow West Country dwellers The Rurals. This follow-up is, if anything, even better. Described by the label as "instrumental contemporary jazz-funk", the album sees Conrad combining loose jazz breaks and jazzy synths with the kind of rich grooves, fireside textures and dreamy electronics more often found in vintage deep house productions. It's a formula that results in a string of brilliant tracks.

Review: Paxton Fettel is a Danish producer whose been crafting a sound that falls somewhere between the drum machine and melodious sounds of Smallville's records and the convivial and classical tones of what can be heard in Giegling's music. Following 12"s for Greta Cottage Workshop and Barcelona's Apersonal Music, Paxton Fettel's debut album returns to the UK for a release on Matt Densham flourishing label. You'll find whimsical, summery house vibes on album opener "Amber Light Burns", while tones are slightly colder but equally heartfelt on "Afloat On A Sea Of Nothing", made with Iero artist Takuya Matsumoto. The mood gets deeper while offset by the slapped-out bass-funk of "Beyond The Sapphire Surf", and for a dalliance in instrumental hip hop tempos check out "Future Adventures".