In the mood for some laid back beats and loungy vibes? Let 40 Winks groove you with their instrumental hip-hop rhythms mixed with blues, funk, and soul. The group (also spelled without a space as 40winks, and referring to English idiom for taking a nap for a short period of time) is comprised of two Antwerp based Belgian producers, Padmo and Weedy.
With samples ranging from bossa nova beats, sax riffs, and dusty jazzy records, the duo scratches the surface of our minds with old-skool effects and vintage organic loops. 40 Winks previously released More Than Loops (Swamp, 2005) and Sound Puzzle (Merck, 2007), so it’s no wonder that I picked them up again for The Lucid Effect, after the duo migrated to yet another home, this time to Project: Mooncircle. The latter is not exactly a surprise, since 40 Winks has already contributed a track to The Heart On The Right Spot compilation (Project: Mooncircle, 2007) where they were showcased among their contemporaries like Mr. Cooper, Lackluster, and Dday One [worth picking up this great collection]. Looks like after thirty releases, this German label will continue to output some quality electronic and instrumental hip-hop material (their latest is a release by CYNE – Starship Utopia).
The Lucid Effect continues to explore the head-bopping experimental sounds that will no doubt appeal to fans of Flying Lotus, Blockhead, Daedelus, Sixtoo, Jel and Malcom Kipe. Super fun with that 70’s feel, turntablism and all. I only wish that more places in the world played this kind of music in the background (like dentists and government agencies), to take the edge off that unnecessary stress we’re so programmed to cope with. I would also love to see 40 Winks branch out to using arranged loops by live bands – even if they don’t play any instruments themselves.
