Championed by John Peel on its first release in 2003 and more than well acquainted with the odd comparison to Air and Zero 7, Noonakai are about as close to European as you’re likely to get this side of the English Channel. Not that I’m setting us Brits apart, or anything, but as master pie eaters, pudding fanatics and dumpling daredoers, you could hardly credit us with being broad-based promoters of subtlety and finesse. ‘All My Journeys’ and its pulsing b-side ‘Escape To…’ at least go someway toward changing this general malaise by tempering our awkward frustration and inelegance with the lilting cool nonchalance of every qui-monsieur in Euro-Disney.
Backed by a leaden Zepplin breakbeat and the sweet, gossamer vocals of Karen Pirie, ‘All My Journeys’ is as sumptuous and as swarthy a slice of downtempo as proffered by any foreigner I can think of.
Come and ‘ave a go if you think you’re avant-garde enough…