It was this Manchester duo, Mark Rae and Steve Christian, that charmed us with their enchanting debut 'Northern Sulphuric Soul' back in 1998 and although it failed to grab hold of the world by the scruff of the neck, it never really set out to.
Instead it was a fairly simple, yet tasty concoction of hip-hop beats, northern soul grooves, jazzy breaks and funky bass riffs. While their second offering 'Sleepwalking' follows a similar sweet-tasting recipe, it has a more raw and experimental edge with a fuller, slicker and more layered sound.
Rae & Christian readily refer to themselves as a studio-based production outfit who also "play some instruments". Yet this description doesn't fairly portray the emotional depth that is locked inside this album. There is strong instrumental feeling - sometimes joyful, sometimes melancholic and sometimes alluring and seductive - in every single track.
The peaks are captured on songs such as the recent single 'Get A Life', which features the gravel-voiced magnificence of soul legend Bobby Womack. It's an instantly appealing laid-back groove about a telephone stalker (but don't let that bit put you off). It includes the most languid of oozing basslines that just induces compulsive finger clicking and hip swivelling. Wonderful!
'Hold Us Down' is another gorgeous, honey-drenched track with the unique vocal talent of Cedric Myton from reggae stalwarts The Congos. His appealingly shrill and uplifting voice glides comfortably over the smooth curves created by the pitch-perfect horn section and the whole thing is steeped in a roots and dub decadence. About as chilled as the album gets.
'It Ain't Nothing Like' featuring San Franciscan rappers The Pharcyde picks up the previously unhurried tempo somewhat. It's a short three-minute ditty that preaches the joy of "hip-hop music" in a suitably lustrous, immediate and comical fashion. They also contribute chatting to the funk-fuelled 'Let It Go'. This driving, disco-tinged tune sounds a bit like a sassy Cameo for the new Millennium.
'Vai Viver A Vida' featuring the sublime voice of Brazilian singer Tania Maria with all it's Latin-esque splendour is another highlight on the global soundscape that is 'Sleepwalking'. These two guys worked away in a cold, windy and unrelenting city in the North of England for twelve months and have somehow managed to recreate South American sunshine, Californian cool and Jamaican tranquillity. Bloody clever!
