high llamas present hey panda - a modern pop music/deep listening experience that could only issue forth from their personal quadrant of the galaxy.

the mini album hope was another change in sound, and featured arrangements by sean o hagan, then of the high llamas. featuring six songs including a cover of leonard cohens >winter lady<, oldhams voice is set in a reflective and soft-hued sound throughout.

luaka bop presents this album from contemporary brazilian legend kassin. one of the leading producers and instrumentalists in brazilian music, alexandre kassin has produced roughly 100 records for singers, including marisa monte and bebel gilberto, recorded with sean oÕhagan (stereolab, high llamas) and made a full album based on nintendo game boy sounds. he has played bass for caetano velosoÕs live shows and conceptualized the orchestra imperial band. his new album, relax, is rooted in dreams and surrealism, yet grounded enough to reach listeners where they are. across 11 tracks, kassin flirts with latin rhythms, brazilian pop, and straight-ahead soul, using this varied stylistic array to tell imagined tales of death, drug usage, politics and fate. theres a dichotomy to relax, with kassins arrangements often feeling bright and danceable, yet with incredibly sullen themes. its a record that speaks directly to the yin and yang of everyday life, and the uncertainty that comes with simply existing.