Spins: Album reviews

Anthony Valadez – Audio/Visual

Artist: Anthony Valadez
Title: Audio/Visual: Sounds Inspired By All Things Visual
Label: Record Breakin
Genre: Nu-Jazz/Electronica/Soul

KCRW’s Anthony Valadez has crafted an astounding debut with Audio/Visual, an eclectic predominantly instrumental piece of work that takes jazz sensibilities and twists them around an assortment of electronic sub-genres and styles. The tracks remain inspiring, emotional, and thought provoking throughout the album, swimming through various moods with relative ease. While vocals only show up three times on the album, the calculated use makes them all the more potent, sending the album into the stratosphere.

Audio/Visual’s tracks are hard to pin down as they run the gamut from hip-hop-flavored nu-jazz (”Alice”) to tripped-out future funk (”Deep Space”) and beyond. “Death of Disco” is uniquely exciting as it builds from a casual future soul groove into a drum&bass-tinged workout.Valadez’ style is somewhat that of a more earthbound Aphex Twin as he utilizes all manner of sounds to craft his tracks. His palette is the urban world using moving buses, television static,handclaps , and ethnic instruments to tell a rather complex story. Once the vocal tracks kick in halfway through the album you have already been conditioned to his unique world view. The prolificKissey Asplund adds her unmistakable touch to the blunted “Firefly” and LA’s Wendisue (previously heard on Valadez’ single “Go”) shines on two tracks. “Dawn” stands out for its gritty production and soaring vocal performance from Wendisue that gives way to jazzy breakdown. Pure bliss.

As one of Los Angeles’ top jocks, Anthony Valadez has created a name for himself but with Audio/Visual he stands to become a producer in demand. Watch out for more of this rare talent.

- Norman Mayers

www.myspace.com/antvalabeats
www.recordbreakin.com

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