Apron Vinyl & CDs

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: Space Ghost has most recently been spotted dropping excellent albums "Aquarium Nightclub" and "Endless Light" on Tartelet, but now he's made a swerve for Funkineven's Apron Records to drop this sultry collection of jams that match bittersweet keys with rubbery bass and plenty of crooked funk that calls to mind broken beat and boogie as much as house music. From the swanging funk of "Prayer For U" to the slow jam New Jack Swing of "Mystery Angel", this is an album that champions some great eras of black music very much in the vein of Apron overall, but still says its own thing. Soulful at every turn and finished with an '80s digital veneer so slick you could trip on it.