Wednesday 25 May 2011

Chad Valley - Now That I'm Real (How Does It Feel)


Just in time for summer comes this sublime piece of electro-pop chillwave. 

Chad Valley, real name Hugo Manuel, has encapsulated the sound of summer in this record, not least for the commendable use of steel drums.  Synth pads meld together, like the final drops of sunset bleeding into the ocean; silhouetted figures dance in the sand to the infectious beat.  Equal parts heart-warming and melancholic, like a summer romance it's beautiful while it lasts, but it's over all too quickly.

So here's the details.  This track can be heard on Nick Grimshaw's Radio 1 show as his record of the week.  The upcoming album 'Equatorial Ultravox', on which this track features, is released on the 20th June.  If you can't wait that long, the self-titled EP is available now and includes the eighties inspired Up and DownAnd click here for a very cool remix of Foals Spanish Sahara.

4/5