Pedro

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Pedro's debut album is book-ended by two gorgeously melodic, and melancholic, piano pieces; making for a statement of sonic intent that begins and ends in the beauty of organic melody. In the journey between those points, Pedro (aka James Rutledge) unites his passion for 'traditional' musical forms and organic instrumentation, and for cutting-edge electronic production, with rare aplomb.

Indeed, the 'folktronica' tag could certainly be applied to a number of tracks here, with the hip-hop beats, acoustic guitar and lush harp strums of "Fear & Resilience" instantly bringing Four Tet's sublime Rounds album to mind (a free-jazz interlude momentarily spooking the looming spectre of influence). "All Things Rendered" and "Seven Eight" are also reminiscent of Kieran Hebden's genre-defining work at times, but Rutledge - elsewhere and even within these tracks - casts his influence net much further than 'folktronica' can adequately describe.

There's the subtle, late-night mood-groove of "Dead Grass", the ear-boggling slice 'n' dice processing and Eastern flavour of "These Pixels Weave A Person", and the jazz-blasted, multi-layered beatscape of "123" (a track which evokes the masterful sampling of DJ Shadow). Pedro has also infused a general sense of playfulness across the album, creating a soundtrack for both quiet reflection and heart-and-mind spirit raising. It's a debut with remarkable depth.