Redinho’s always been different. Debuting on Numbers in 2010, his Bare Blips EP showcased an artist with no desire to fit into the landscape of the time. Darting between styles and tempos across six tracks that drew from grime, hip-hop, funk and more, the only constant on Bare Blips’ tracks was that they kicked back – or, at least, remained blissfully ignorant – of the 130bpm house that the rest of the UK was gravitating towards.

On his first album, Redinho found the perfect solution to being out of step – creating his own world to fit into. Across 15 tracks, including acclaimed past singles ‘Searching’ and ‘Stay Together’, Redinho conjures up visions of the deep sea, deep space, not-so-deep jacuzzi parties and everything between, binding them together into an aesthetic that's both stylish and starry-eyed. Drum machine-driven ‘80s funk is a key influence here, as it always has been with Redinho and label Numbers, but where Redinho excels is how sublimely he combines it with other genres: the 'hey' chants and drum patterns of Atlanta hip-hop on ‘Playing with Fire’, Detroit techno on ‘Shem’, the freeform dreamscapes of ‘Bubbles’, 707-driven Chicago house on ‘Going Nowhere‘ and downtrodden electronica on ‘Say I Want You’.

It only takes a few tracks to realise that Redinho’s studied the ‘80s, and the sounds and dynamics that make that style work, but this is far from a throwback album. With a masterful modern sheen and links to contemporary pop and hip-hop, it’s hard to imagine it being released any time but now.

Redinho – Redinho
Released 22/23 September 2014 on Numbers.