Back in 2018 the Raw Tapes boss Rejoicer (Yuvi Havkin) stepped out from the comfort of his own imprint to drop the Energy Dreams LP via Stones Throw. Two years on we find the former Mndsgn, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins collaborator pushing himself further for the release of his new album Spiritual Sleaze.
Anyone who enjoyed Energy Dreams - something of a breakout record for Rejoicer - will feel comfortable in the soundworld of Spiritual Sleaze. What we have here is a set of deft and delicate productions which fuse the experimental hip-hop spirit of the LA beat scene with that more spiritualised lineage of Sun Ra, Laraaji and Teebs. While there isn't any beat here that you could describe as a trunk-rattler, cuts like ‘Third Eye Jungle Run’ and ‘Aura Sight’ still have a pleasing snap to their grooves even as their chord progressions point to the prettier pastures of neo-soul. In the album’s more weightless moments we also find Rejoicer coming close to balladry - think Floating Points at his most contemplative. An array of contributing guests assimilate perfectly into the Rejoicer sound, be they providing soulful vocals or, in the case of Nitai Hershkovits, Rhodes piano.
Rejoicer maintains the chill vibe of his much-loved 2018 album Energy Dreams on follow-up full-length Spiritual Sleaze.
Exclusive 12x12" print
Designed by Rejoicer and visual collaborator Jengo, the art print continues with themes of alien rocks and fossils portrayed in the album cover art, but this time taking direct inspiration from the prints of Ernst Haeckel, a marine biologist, zoologist, philosopher and artist who made illustrations of fossils and marine life. Jengo says, “The prints always seemed to me like a bizarre way of investigating nature through form, exposing a hidden beauty in the life around us we don’t normally see. For years I’ve been wanting to do a sort of a homage to these distinctive prints, and this felt like a perfect opportunity, as the peculiar forms and details reflect the intricate soundscapes of Rejoicer’s music”.
