Album Review: Daedelus - Bespoke

With a plethora of guest vocalists ranging from Baths to The Bird and the Bee's Inara George and Soulquarians member Bilal, one could easily assume that Bespoke would sit neatly into a ten-album back catalogue of work that has tended be diverse, if perhaps even a little rambling at times. Yet for an artist who likes to leave a rough edge to his work, Bespoke instead finds LA DJ/Producer Alfred Darlington – that’s Daedelus to you and me - in relatively pointed form. A far more succinct affair than previously, the follow up to 2008’s Love To Make Music too certainly feels like Daedelus’ most complete work to date but is that necessarily such a good thing?

For a blistering opening 20 minutes or so, the answer is an overwhelming yes. Opener ‘Tailor-Made’, featuring a woozy vocal turn from Canadian electro wizard Milosh, cranks up the beats and draws you straight in. Instrumental second track ‘Sew, Darn, Mend’, a personal favourite, immediately jumps in with a masterclass in how to judge BPM speeds before Inara George’s croon on ‘Penny Loafers’ brings some Californian sunshine to proceedings. Indeed there is little let up for the first six tracks, with each flowing seamlessly into the next.

However that pace quickly wanes and one of the more exciting collaborations on paper turns out to be a big disappointment in practice. ‘French Cuffs’, featuring fellow LA beathead Will Wiesenfled (AKA Baths), is simply too slow and downbeat. The same, unfortunately, can also be said of the following track, the equally macabre ‘In tatters’. Things get back on track with another towering instrumental ‘Slowercase D’ and end on a high with ‘Overwelmed’.  While Irana brought some Californian rays earlier on, Bilal helps close the album out with some dirty funk and grime beats that wouldn’t sound out of place booming from a basement in South London.

On the one hand Bespoke is a pretty remarkable album - it somehow brings together a range of differing vocal talents and avoids creating a chaotic mess. Instead it’s Daedelus’ most polished work to date and questionable middle section aside; might just be his best too. One thing’s for sure, it certainly proves Darlington’s lost none of his subtle touch for electronic music.