released: 2001
genre: electronic / broken-beat / neo-soul
from: london, uk
label: island records
a few thoughts: i obsess over music discovery. a lot of the stuff i’ve been digging has come from the late 90s to early 2000s london neo-soul and electronic scene, which to me needs to be studied as one of the most eclelctic, forward-thinking periods of experimentation. at the heart of this flourishing creative period you’ll hear a lot about steve spacek, a pioneer within the downtempo, broken-beat and electronic scene. having released a handful of solo albums over the years, including his 2005 debut album spaceshift, set to be re-issued on vinyl soon, 2018’s natural sci-fi and 2020’s houses. before all of this though, he was in a trio with edmund cavill (on guitar and synthesiser), and morgan zarate (keyboards, drums and bass) known as spacek.
they released their debut album in 2001 called curvatia, and upon first listen it became one of my favourite discoveries in recent years. the production throughout feels crisp and punchy, in the same family as j dilla, who remixed the sensual “eve” with a guest appearance from frank-n-dank. the production is very trip-hop and dub inspired, but with infectious melodies driven by steve spacek’s hypnotic vocals throughout. the opener “inside” has this incredibly punchy beat, with a groovy bassline and catchy, groovy melody that is just so soulful and smooth throughout. a stunning way to introduce us to their world. “eve” is a beautiful track, still with its punchy beats and guitar arpeggios, as well as the orchestral bits that add a grandiosity to it that’s just incredible. the sexy “getaway” is very sensual and very d’angelo too, with phemomenal guest vocals from . there’s a clear relatable musical lineage between the two artists and their way to create punchy, soulful grooves that make you really want to let loose, either in dance or intimately with a loved one. i’d love to experience this with my love on an eve in a nice flat in south london at 1am, after smoking a joint and lighting up some incense. genuinely, this is such a great listen, in all sorts of social settlings. “sexy curvatia” has incredible production throughout, but is led by steve spacek’s moody, sensual vocal performance that really shines through. the hook is incredible, the groove is stunning. “how do i move” is one of my faves, a futuristic, dub-inspired track that features some incredible electronic synth effects, with a menacing groove that is one for the dancefloor. an early dubstep banger almost. “smiles and roses” an incredible bassline, with stunning key melodies that are accompanied by an angelic vocal performance and a broken-beat groove that’s just crazy. the dynamic beat changes throughout this track and the others make for an engaging and sometimes unpredictable. “language” is another sensual cut, the orchestral part that adds to the emotive chorus. the subtle beat switch is heavenly. “when the band begins to play” has a tribal feel to it, from the percussion, but the uplifting keys throughout add to steve’s emotive and heartfelt vocal performance. it’s a trip-hop, dubbed out masterpiece, a bit of a different vibe to the rest of them, but a very warm, inviting change of pace. “how” has one of my favourite moments on the album, with an absorbing, cathartic release, with the swelling, hypnotic strings that add to the slow-paced, immersive rhythms and melodies. it’s goosebump-enducing, and if i see this live some day i might cry. the off-kilter yet embracing groove of “act for you” is soulful and romantic, while “i have a daughter that sings” closes the album out with an acoustic guitar and piano leads, with steve spacek serenading the track with expressive vocals that are just beautiful over the percussive, naturally smoother and organic production. the apple music version of the final track is 20 minutes long, but the track itself is around 7 minutes, with silence until the last 3 minutes of groovy, funky percussion-led instrumental music, with subtle vocals throughout. a beautiful way to close out one of the most futuristic electronic and neo-soul albums to come out of britain.
curvatia is one of my favourite discoveries in a long time and has pushed me to explore so much more music from the british isles. that 90s / early 2000s trip-hop, hip-hop and neo-soul era is unmatched, so there will be more of these albums explored in the future. the world of steve spacek and his affiliations and collaborators is big, and i’m looking forward to the journey of discovering all of these gems. as for curvatia, well, go listen to it, buy it on vinyl. i will at some point do a listening party for it with dj sets after in london, so if you live in the city, do come. more details on that tbd.
the album:
In Search Of Media 