L.E.P is the latest project from Japanese producer Yashushi Ide and his partner Yoko Ota.
Taking a broad sweep of influences, from house to hip hop and Philly Soul, 'Silver Ocean' sees the duo collaborate with a cast of dance celebrities to produce an almost brilliant album.
The collaborations kick off with Byron Stingly, formerly of 10 City, whose vocals match the slow burning, warm soul of 'Sweet Dream' perfectly. Lilioana Chachian, of Da Lata fame, contributes the breezy Latin house of 'No Colo Do Mer' and Osunlade contributes to an appropriately deep, spiritual and tribal 'Soul Galactic'.
An album high point comes with 'Love', which features an awesome cast led by New York jazz rap poet Apani, who delivers a Rucker/ Scott/ Bryant style spoken word lyric. Saxophone comes from the legendary Pharoah Sanders and equally seminal Lonnie Liston Smith.
The next peak arrives quickly with 'Spirit of Drums', featuring Jamaican dub poet Mutabarauka, which takes dancehall into deep house territory. And Sara Divine delivers a reasonable version of Rose Royce's 'Wishing On A Star', although Smith and Mighty still have the last word.
So far so good, so why they had to almost go and ruin it all with a weak version of Bill Withers' classic 'Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone' is anyone's guess.
Apart from that, this is certainly a contender.
by Ben Osborne