MEDICINE LABEL, 2000 // CD / BUY

Here’s one from my personal vaults. Even though Swayzak’s (British duo of James Taylor & David Brown) Himawari was released ‘only’ in 2000, it is one of the first CDs I ever bought. Yes, eleven years ago. The truth is – I don’t like CDs. I don’t like the format, the way it looks or the way if feels in you hand. I don’t like collecting CDs or keeping them for a long time. I have no emotional connection to a CD whatsoever. I never have and I never will.

Anyway.. back to Swayzak. Himawari is the duo’s second full-length proper and remains their most diverse and vital effort to date (well.. at least in my opinion). Each track has its own spark and sense of intimacy. The early cuts mostly establish the mood while the rest dive into more club-friendly territories. “Illegal” kicks things off with dub-laden downtempo jam with Benjamin Zephaniah on vocals. “The Frozen Loch” is a chilled, slow-building track featuring vocals based on a poem by an unknown small boy. Then there’s the 80′s poppy “State of Grace” with Kirsty Hawkshaw of Opus III on vocals. “Betek” closes the LP with its hypnotic deep house groove and rolling bassline that won’t stop for the entire nine or so minutes.

Truth be told, don’t expect anything groundbreaking here. It’s been all done before. However, Himawari has a certain ‘aura’ of its own. Even though all tracks on the album are different, they somehow compliment one another – and that is precisely what makes this album special to me.

AUDIO: “Illegal feat. Benjamin Zephaniah” (YouTube)
AUDIO: “Betek” (YouTube)