Studio - Yearbook 1

Classifications are what they are (next to nothing), but this one comes from their own Myspace page, so it must have some truth in it: "Experimental / Afro-beat / Pop"... Sounds interesting, right? And listenning to "Yearbook 1", we have to agree, it's really not far from what it sounds, so be it. What does this mean? Mostly that we have a new project coming from Sweden (wait, another one?), pushing bounderies and doing something new, mixing references to create their own unique language. In Studio's case, we have long hypnotic instrumentals that are sonic explorations full of groove (some of them between 10 and 15 minutes long), but also short infectious pop songs not far from what New Order did 20 years ago. Everything done with a really strong sense of space and time, and a no-limits approach to its poetry, making the whole package a compelling and addictive audio experience. Simple, easy to like and beautiful as only the simplest things can be, but also full of small rewarding details, to discover slowly and with an open-mind. (9/10)