Nightmares On Wax

George Evelyn had perfected the essence of chilled-out vibes with his last record, the remarkable Carboot Soul. It was a record that allowed you to shut off your mind and take a journey into relaxation with its ultra-slow tempos and smooth orchestration. Carrying on the tradition is Mind Elevation, the fourth release from Nightmares on Wax, a former duo that Evelyn has been continuing on his own in grand style. Mind Elevation proceeds to deliver some of the slow-paced beats that are expected, but added to the mix this time are some more dance-worthy tracks that will make you want to shake your ass, rather than sit on it. "I think every album is a new beginning," says Evelyn. "I'm always looking to write more stuff because I think every album opens up different avenues for you to take." Something that could be considered a new leaf for NOW is the elimination of the "Nights Interlude" remix that has appeared on the three past recordings. Based on "Summer in the City," by Quincy Jones, NOW has gradually worked the track into something bolder and more magnificent each time around, leaving the series at a stunning full-scale orchestration on Carboot Soul. "I pretty much took that track to its pinnacle by doing an orchestrated version," explains Evelyn. "I couldn't really see any way of doing that record again." Instead, the Nightmares mastermind started with a completely clean slate and without any pre-thought out blueprint. "I like to work on things in a spontaneous attitude where I like to go about a track and see what happens. When you make music that way it's more honest because you're going on complete feeling and what vibe you're picking up at that time." And as a result we have yet another beautiful Nightmares record to add to the increasingly impressive catalogue. Just like Carboot Soul was in 1999, Mind Evolution will be taking heads through a journey with a perfect summertime soundtrack.