Stump Valley - Natural Race (2019)

Stylistic, enigmatic, and effortless. Stump Valley’s Dekmantel Records debut release is a smooth melange of glossy soul, jazz, and serene house. Produced by the under-the-radar duo, the album breezes through tropes of balearic analogue, warm Chicago sounds, yet remaining ultimately Italian.

Debuting they may be, but the Italian duo are no strangers to Dekmantel, having played at Dekmantel Festival, Dekmantel Selectors, and Lente Kabinet before. Having released groove tracks across a whole spectrum of lauded Dutch labels, Stump Valley’s reputation even precedes them. Throughout the release, their sound echoes that of Prins Thomas, Larry Heard, and other select funk-driven Italian live producers that are making waves in the current scene. It’s a sound that’s permanently upbeat, radiant, and filled with joy.

Berlin based vocalist and Max Graef collaborator Wayne Snow collaborates on vocal opener 'Natural Race', creating a slow groove, and funk-driven tempo. The music then veers into equatorial territory, as the duos' uses of classic 707 and LinnDrum sounds evoke a sense of sunset grooves; the sound of Theo Parrish slowly winding through an Adriatic cocktail party. Further on and 'Proletarians In Space' reflects the producers' more Detroit-like influences, with oscillating machine music. 'Zoo Planet X' takes the sound further, with dubby pads, and old-school kicks and hats, that transport the Turin-based artists across the Atlantic with their out-of-time sonic aesthetic.