Apron Vinyl & CDs

Review: .Crown is the long-awaited reunion of Kyle Hall and Steven Julien (Funkineven), two soulful visionaries who bridge the gap between Detroit and London. The LP showcases their unique blend of raw and organic beats, cosmic synths, and expressive vocals. From the hypnotic opener 'Page 1' to the understated late night deepness of 'Page 4' and the evocative blunted beats of closer 'Page 5' (Reggie B SciFonk Mix), Crown is a journey through the diverse and dynamic realms of electronic music. Fans of Hall's previous work and Julien's Funkinevil project will not be disappointed by this masterful collaboration that celebrates the essence of soul.

Review: Funkineven's Apron label has long since had its own unique sound world where nostalgic keys, crunchy melodies and raw, lo-fi beats all coalesce into something both futuristic yet familiar. The latest to step up with a whole album of such sounds is Jarren, the LA artist who can do it all. His debut record is a late-night love affair that follows up his 2020 EP Mina with plenty of romantic beats. The sundown sounds have a real sense of swagger and the keys glow like the neons of a distant metropolis. There are strutting pool party jams like 'Zaiah', boogie bombs like Deja-Vu' and low slung Cali-tinged joints like 'Whittier Blvd.' It's a gorgeous collection.

Review: We don't half love a bit of Steven Julien, the artist formally known as Funkineven. And this new EP arrives just at the right time as the days brighten, the sun heats up and cruising day-time funk, house and boogie blends are all you want to pump out of your retro 3 series with the top down. 'Time' has distinctly 80s flavours with its bright chords and beats, 'Ultra' is more heavy with a contemporary rap/trap edge and 'Up' is a raw house cut with swinging kicks. 'Wraap't' is another crunchy and loved-up 80s street soul sound then 'Lil'bit' and 'Ballad' close out with more neon pads and retro-future melodic sparkle.

Review: The enigmatic J. Quaid has turned the heads of those that know with fine deep house outings on labels like Couch Acid and Hot Shit Sounds as well as Apron. Now he returns to Apron and comes good on that early promise with a full length album of analogue jams. They fizz with retro-future synths and hardware drum grooves. The machines bring dusty edges and cosmic rays of light. Some, like 'Irememberufromtomorrow' bring electro beats and some like 'The Lovers' are scuffed up broken beats with heartfelt moods. Throughout the many different rhythms and tempos this remains a standout album.

Review: Now more than 45 releases deep into their journey, Apron Records have teamed up with Patta Soundsystem to work on their first various artists release. To celebrate this monumental milestone, both camps have collaborated to create a clothing capsule to accompany the release. Better Together is the slogan that runs throughout the entire collaboration, stressing how unity makes us stronger as individuals. A diverse array of offerings are featured here: experimentally minded offerings by Ashtrejinkins and Brassfoot, System Olympia does slo-mo electro, while sublime deep house comes courtesy of Shamos and Shy One, and label chief Steven Julien provides some emotive broken beats.

Review: Brazilian DJ and producer Pedro Zopelar's sound is a perfect fit for Apron. It's proudly analogue and rough around the edges, with lo-bitrate synth feels that at once take you back to the 80s while also somehow surging into the cosmos. This sunny record takes in slick electro, stylish boogie a la Dam Funk and brisling beat tracks that are flashed with acid and twanging slap bass. There is an irrepressible sense of late night funk to 'Cruisin', body popping breaks on 'Cidade Jovem' and on standout track 'Back In Tha Game' you glide on tinny cowbells and rickety beats that you hope will never end.