RSL have previously been occupied in the genre-defying business thanks to two excellent singles, "The Mast" and their acclaimed debut single "Wesley Music", and new release "The Magic Of Spain" again finds them brewing up a hot-blooded, Latino-influenced storm.
Coming to us in both snappy 7" Radio Mix and extended 12" mix, "The Magic Of Spain" makes its' entrance via house-y pianos, a big brass section and a distinct South American leaning. It's layered, sophisticated and sounds a little like an updated version of the kind of thing former Factory stalwarts like Kalima and Cath Carroll might have wrung from their Brazilian-influenced oeuvres. It gets onto a real roll after the first minute or so and ends up sounding both pretty damn irresistible and a hell of a carnival in its' own right.
Flipside "The Godfather Waltz" is aptly titled too. This one starts with a lonely post on the, er, trumpet and harbours distinct OST-style leanings, with the brass and slinky rhythms sharing a prairie with Ennio Morricone/ spaghetti western leanings. It's the very epitome of 'evocative' and, with a few flamenco flourishes to spice up its' life, makes like the sorta thing Calexico were excelling with circa "Hot Rail."
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RSL come armed with support from heavyweights such as Gilles Peterson, Rob Da Bank and The Herbaliser, who has been moved to refer to them as "truly great musicians", but their appeal would seem to be more across the board than those predominantly dance-related artists. Their album "Every Preston Guild" is just about to hit the shops, so make a point of keeping your antenna primed and receiving for that in the next few weeks.
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