Sekuoia's debut album Flac is hands-down my album of the year. Why? Because it's the first album in a while that has put a smile on my face at first listen. It's been out for two weeks already and the smile did not fade out.
Someone once said "No wonder the Danish scene is so booming right now, there's not much to do else wise." I've never been to Denmark - homeland of Patrick Alexander Beck aKa Sekuoia, but a friend of mine spend her last six months in Aarhus. She described me the country as being flat and mystic.
Flac is far from being flat - but mystic it is. 10 tracks bouncing back and forth between aerie sounds, fit-for-the-clubs beats, and this recognizable touch: bass, evocative soundscapes and atmospheric music.
With this first album, Sekuoia explores new musical territories. He shifts towards a pop-ier direction with the help of fellow talented Danish vocalists: Marc Roland from Kentaur (on R'n'B infused killer first extract "Brace") and Kill J (on the luminous "Lamp in the Dark").
On a track like "Beau", Sekuoia ventures on Bonobo's path: melting bells and his characteristics multi-layers - and the result is as promised... Beau, that is to say "beautiful" in French. But Flac is not only about discovering new sounds. In tracks like "Honestly", Sekuoia sticks to what he does best: layering, reverbs and hypnotic melodies - but he adds voice samples and focuses a bit more on beats.
If Flac should be summed up, it's an album that will make you trip. You'll fly to deep and light soundscapes - only to wake up in a hectic paradise where beats & rhythm are equally worship as melody & harmony.
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