Sergio Vilas - Persistence LP (2020)

Dear Deer welcome Sergio Vilas for a new album that finds him experimenting with a new, broader sound that is outside his more commonly recognized techno remit. He does so with the help of a couple of collaborators like Chad Stegall and Lc3 and it makes for a fantastic listen. Says the artist 'I love all sounds, from Beethoven to Kraftwerk from Detroit to Japan - I think this album shows that I can be diverse and show one of the many sounds I like - it will divide people, but it felt good to write and explore and persist with new sounds, hence the name Persistence.' The album kicks off with smooth grooves and farsighted chords on 'Persistence' which come with some spine-tingling vocals that really get you to hypnotise. The title track is another superbly subtle melodic house cut that bounces along nicely and Future Melody then offers some more chattery claps and driving house beats. Bewitched then explores sunset sounds with lush chords draped over the succulent drums and the grooves roll on and on to infinity while Enchantress gets hands in the air with its big chord vamps reaching for the heavens above warm and rubbery drums. After the bristling old school breaks and majestic melodies of Babylon, Bewitched (The Weather All take) slows things right down to a downtempo crawl that is pure bliss and the album closes out with angelic vocals and wide-open spaces on In Motion and the intense synth ambiance that washes over you with beautiful closer Peace. This is an exceptional album that shows off many new sides to the artist behind it