DOMINIQUE FILS AIME レコード& CD

Review: Back ion 2021, the relaunched Foliage Records imprint offered up a killer mix from NYC house legends Mood II Swing, the must-check Deep Rooted. Soon, the revitalised label will release a sequel, with long-serving British deep house don Atjazz at the helm. This sampler EP boasts six of the highlights from that set - all remixed and reworked by Atjazz himself. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the tense, slowly building deep-tech shuffle of Halo''s 'Glorty (Atjazz Galaxy Art Remix)'and the sun-splashed 6am bounce of Atjazz's remix of Dominique Fils-Aime's gorgeous 'Sun Rise', to the dreamy dancefloor wooziness of Ralf GUM's 'AWA' (re-imagined by Atjazz as an Osunlade-esque spiritual house workout) and the jazzy, bass-guitar-propelled broken house excellence of 'On The Road (Vocal Mix)', a three-way collab between Atjazz, Kelli Sae and The Realm.

Review: Dominique Fils-Aime opens her second album, Nameless, with an intimate vocal solo. One melody finds accompaniment with another - they multiply, creating a family of sound, related but independent. She crafts what sounds like an entire band out of layered vocals, establishing a minimalistic approach early on, and gradually brings in selective instrumentation balanced with a blend of intriguing vocal harmonies. Her voice glides over the track, guiding the music, grounding her body of work in a refreshingly human quality. Extending outwards from an introductory cover version of 'Strange Fruit', Dominique transitions into original compositions, introducing an upright bass, snapping fingers, and a slick, hushed and lyrical flow. By framing her original work within the bounds of the iconic blues singers that preceded her, she is making clear that her sound is inspired and builds upon the talents of past generations. By interpreting these classic songs in a modern way, she is considering how she can play her part in furthering this musical tradition.

Review: 
Accomplished and idiosyncratic Canadian singer-songwriter Dominique Fils-Aime sends alone in her sound world. It is a place where jazz and soul combine with her own inventive and innovative vocalisations, dream like deliveries, hooky mantras and absorbing grooves. She's dropped several albums, inching a brand new one called Our Roots Run Deep at the start of 2024, but so too has her 2021 long player Three Little Words now also been pressed to vinyl. It's a timeless yet contemporary work packed with glorious sunshine and enumerate moments of heartbreaking tenderness.