Smokers Delight

Smokers Delight is a largely instrumental collection of funky, multi-layered sample collages, pulling together most of the strands of influence that led to the late 80s / early 90s dance music explosion: reggae, dub, soul, jazz, funk, hip hop, boogie, disco and electro. The tempo, hip hop beats, and sample-based style all qualify Smokers Delight as trip hop album, but the gloom and angst present in much trip hop is largely absent here. NoW instead choose a much sunnier, laid-back take on the trip hop vibe, one more redolent of an Ibizan sunset than the bleaker landscapes oft conjured by the likes of Portishead or Tricky. Congas and bongos double up with dusty breakbeats, while the sampler provides snatches of keys, horns, guitars, and pianos from long-forgotten 45s, repurposed into new configurations. A relaxed, unhurried montage of the musical building blocks of dance music that feels warm and welcoming.