Laroche - Winter Warmth

Hear The Track Here

I'm surprised to note this is only my third Laroche review because I could have sworn I had done more than that. Considering that he is an electronica musician he's managed to notch up two highly recommendeds from me and I don't hand them out lightly. It usually means that this musician has something serious to say and gets on with the job. Both A Synopsis (May 2008) and Immaterial (August 2008) showed that Laroche had a definite touch with the music, even some of the sounds didn't quite come up to the same standard. There again, that's well into nitpicker territory and its best not to go there on a full stomach.

As I type this the temperature outside is rapidly sliding into double digits below for the next week or so, so a bit of Winter Warmth is exactly what is needed. Laroche does serve up a nice chillout though, as I have discovered before, and this is a track to savour before the fire with the system cranked and your choice of stimulants to hand. Me, I stuck my head in the clouds for a few minutes, cranked up my anti-neighbour system and blissed out as if it were Christmas already (Ed: Been, gone. Where were you? Oh, Happy New Year readers). Even more than that, here was a track that didn't have the same flaws as its predecessors. In fact, I even liked the plucky things and you KNOW I hate them little buggers. There is a Chinese quality to the sound and structure of the part that lifts this track way above the ordinary.

Winter Warmth is a lovely combination of so many styles, some production wizardry and an unfailing dedication to getting it EXACTLY right. The opening sequence is drop dead gorgeous and I defy you to listen to that and not want to rip its clothes off. My jaw hit the floor with an audible thump when I found at that the incredible journey I had been on was a mere stroll at almost five minutes. There is so much packed into those few minutes, all lavishly rubbed onto your ears with almost flawless sound fidelty that they may well eargasm. If I sound well mellowed out it is because I am STILL listening to this at least a couple of times a day and chillout doesn't always float my boats so that should tell you something.

Gorgeous. Perfect. MUST HAVE.