Animal

Fakear, or Théo Le Vigoreux as he’s known to his friends, is the latest in a long line of exciting, European electronic musicians to grace these shores. Being described as an amalgamation of the likes of Jamie XX, Bonobo and Daft Punk, expectations for his first album proper, Animal, were high. And he delivers.

With a sound that straddles house, electronica and soul, the comparisons to Bonobo are clear, with echoes of The North Borders in several tracks, not least ‘Light Bullet’ which features vocals from Bonobo collaborator Andreya Triana. Although there are similarities, the album never strays into tribute territory, and the lively, off-kilter percussion - the surname Vigoreux being remarkably apt - that permeates a lot of the album keeps things fresh.

Although hailing from over the channel, tracks like ‘Sheer-Khan’, which somehow manages to mix echoes of Hindi vocals alongside hip hop drum kicks and snares, showcases the global scale of influences on this young producer’s sound. Most impressive is the way the songs are simultaneously for your headphones and the dancefloor. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the titular track, an undeniable highlight of the album, where the squelchy synth and slow beat make for both a perfect mid-set shoulder-roller and yet also music you wouldn’t mind sitting and grooving to on the bus.

Animal doesn’t sound rushed. It’s a fully developed album of four EPs and a world of travelling in the making. This time was clearly well spent figuring out what works and what doesn’t, resulting in a highly accomplished piece of work that pays testament to the maturity of the artist. Fakear is pronounced ‘fake-ear’, but there’s nothing false about the sumptuous, warm sound of this album, and clearly I’m not the only person who thinks so. He’s gaining plaudits as wide-ranging as M.I.A., AlunaGeorge and Annie Mac. This is just the start, and with it being such a strong one I don’t foresee anything stopping this man from emulating this success in the future.