Everything seemed to fall perfectly into place when Lee Burridge, his longtime collaborator Lost Desert, and Broadway vocalist Junior met together in the studio for the first time. Their collective chemistry and knack for ear-catching arrangement with tasteful use of ethnocentric elements translated into an instant classic: “Lingala.” Junior’s vocals, sung in the language the title get its name from, were distinctive, while Lee Burridge and Lost Desert forged a grooving house foundation.

Naturally, the three acts remained drawn to one another, and once more met up to create new music together; this time, an entire EP titled Elongi was the result. It’s meant as a follow-up to “Lingala,” in both lyrical content and in its musical undertones. The record’s title opener entices the eardrums immediately with lush percussion and passionate verses by Junior as the track’s melodic centerpiece.

“Elongi” flows nicely “Mona Yo,” where the momentum picks up. Though it shares similar motifs to its predecessor, it stands on its own with a catchy bassline that is orbited by drawn-out synth notes. “Float On” is EP’s euphoric cut — twinkling synth riffs harmonzied by a bittersweet bassline are pierced by Junior’s yells, creating the sonic equivalent of a warm blanket. It serves as quite the touching closer as well, leaving one with an afterglow when the record finally ends.

 

‘Elongi’ was released on June 22 on All Day I Dream. Pick up a copy here

Tags: All day I dream, Elongi, EP Review, Junior, Lee Burridge, Lost Desert

Categories: Music