30/70 - Elevate (2017)

We've long felt that there's something in the water down in Melbourne. Australia's second city is home to a surprisingly high number of talented producers, musicians and DJs. The latest outfit primed for international success is 30/70, a nine-piece collective that's has been doing its thing since the middle of the decade. Elevate, their first EP for Rhythm Section International, offers an expansive showcase for their genre-bending, fusion-heavy style, where bustling jazz instrumentation and seriously soulful vocals are effortlessly blended with elements of Afrobeat, jazz-funk, broken beat, hip-hop and hazy downtempo grooves. It's a deliciously warm and summery set of tracks, all told, suggesting that 30/70 will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.