Vels Trio - Celestial Greens (2021)

Vels Trio reap their jazz-fusion crop with a stellar 11-track debut album ‘Celestial Greens’ on Rhythm Section International. Wandering through their versatile musical vision, the LP represents the amalgamation of London’s finest jazz players; Jack Stephenson-Oliver on keys (Poppy Ajudha), Dougal Taylor behind the drum kit (Emma-Jean Thackray) and Cameron Dawson on bass (Puma Blue). The end result: 40 minutes of high-fidelity worthy audio elation, destined for the album of year lists.

Incorporating bona fide sleeper hit ‘The Wad’, alongside new singles ‘May As Well Be’, a dreamy jam with funk indebted bass, and ‘Pop Stuff’, a melancholic and potent composition that dissolves into pitched down slowcore. The album soars through psychedelic synth progressions, deep arrangements and finessed groove sections. Recorded mostly in Kate Bush’s personal studio in Welling, Wicker Studios, Vels Trio went through numerous versions of each track until settling on the right take to build the composition from, always considering the album format first and foremost. This arduous process has gilded the record, elevating their musicianship to unseen heights. ‘Celestial Greens’ represents an exploration of a new vision of modern progressive music, consolidating their influence on the emerging UK soul and RnB scenes, whilst creating a sound that’s idiosyncratic yet accessible to any fan of electronic music.