Italy seems to be one of the latest hotspots where the global electronic-jazz/broken beat fusion sound is buzzing heavily. More and more boundary-pushing artists are emerging every week and the Rome-based producer XL Regular is no exception. His forthcoming debut EP XL3000 is rooted in true UK broken beat fashion but his sonic approach is also adding to the ever-expanding universe.
Italian producer XL Regular is no stranger to our platform. Last year we premiered the fantastic 'Astral Sorcery' track he featured on by Future Jazz Ensemble, which was released on the Outlines compilation by ANMA & Cognitiva Records. Check the article we published here. Since then, his tunes have been appearing frequently in our setlists and he's also been heavily active in the lab, which he sometimes shares through his IG feed to keep us posted and on our toes.
In July 2021, XL appeared on a remix of 'Melodies' by Los Angeles-based producer Moodhay. The way he flipped this together with Sofa Talk is pretty amazing and definitely didn't get enough appreciation considering how great it is. Hearing that for the first time made me really look forward to more music with him involved. Well, I'm thrilled to say that this moment has arrived!
XL3000 will be XL Regular's first official solo EP. It features three of his original songs plus one remix by the current UK heavyweight EVM128. All tracks are spectacular and his personal touch is really shining through in the productions. From the way he programs the drums to the multi-layered harmonies and carefully placed synths, samples, or effects, it just feels really fresh. While the pioneers of the West-London sound were decades ahead when they originated its first form in the mid-90s to early 2000s, the new heads are deeply steeped in the sound of today and still intend to keep on pushing the boundaries with new experiments. Surely, it can't be easy, but with a consistently growing community of rising new talent, I believe there's still space to explore. More and more people are still only just discovering the existence of these syncopated drum patterns and storytelling synths, so let's see where the future will bring us. But with current artists such as XL Regular, Yoofee, Bjazz11, Kofi The Unknown, Kuna Maze & plenty of others that are still coming up, I really have no doubt that it will remain exciting.
The title track 'XL3000' will be released on Friday, April 1st via ANMA Records, which can be pre-ordered now until the full EP drops on April 8th. Until then, you can get your exclusive listen here:
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