Review: Eric Hilton - Midnight Ragas (Montserrat House)

Eric Hilton explores the pattern of notes having characteristic intervals, rhythms and embellishments as a base of improvisations that he's called, 'Midnight Ragas', but he's never too far from that Thievery Corporation / Eighteen Street Lounge Music!

 

Ever since we heard Hlton's single with singers Natalia Clavier and Puma Ptah, ('Je ne t’aime plus (feat. Natalia Clavier)' / 'Leave It All' (feat. Puma Ptah - see review HERE) we've been excited about the new album (which follows 'Sound Vagabond' and 'Corazón Kintsugi', again with Natalia - see review HERE).

We know Eric loves the downtempo trip-hop jazz side and 'Life (In The Deep End)' is the slo-mo Balearic disco space synth mission statement for the album and and the 'tribute' track, 'Madame Asha' (see Asha Puthli review HERE) along with, indo-jazz flute gang / "70s crime flick meets ambient drum & bass", 'Behind My Eyes' (featuring The Infinite Daisy Chains).

'Burkina Faso' takes on an Afrobeat vibe, 'Galactic Shine' has a touch of a BiggaBush and if anyone mentions Michael "my name is" Caine and "Ipcress File/John Barry twinkle", 'Sol Interior' you know you're on a winner.

Even with three different vocalists and lyrics sung in French, Spanish and English, the instrumental title track, 'Midnight Ragas' sets a groove that the rest of the 12 track album follows and it's so cool, it's a 'Beautiful Moment'. 

Not only will this be on your 'Wants List', there's a new album coming out by 'Visions Of Light' (that's like the warm-up to this so stay tuned) and Urbs & Cutex album 'On Our Way' (see review HERE).

Artist: Eric Hilton with Natalia Clavier & Puma Ptah

Title: Midnight Ragas 

Release date: 20th June, 2025

Label : Montserrat House

Catalog Number : MH029

Format:  VINYL / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Eric Hilton - Je ne t’aime plus (feat. Natalia Clavier) / Leave It All (feat. Puma Ptah) (Montserrat House)

Eric Hilton has been half of the seminal Theivery Corporation for decades and now is with singers Natalia Clavier and Puma Ptah on the new release on the Montserrat House label; what'dya mean, 'Je ne t’aime plus'?

We know Eric boarders on the trip-hoppy jazz side, check out 'Corazón Kintsugi' that also features the dreamy vocals of Argentinian singer-songwriter Natalia Clabier (see review HERE) so it's no surprise that je/tu/nous/vouse aime plus.

Moving away form the les parapluies de Cherbourg in the 60s, 'Leave It All' taps into Massive Atttack's Bristol without umbrellas but with a big groovy bassline that is tops my Mr. Ptah's soulful vocals.

Both single are taken from a forthcoming album called 'Midnight Ragas' so sitars at the ready?  

And don't forget Eric's excellent album from last year, 'Sound Vagabond' (see review HERE) and I feel contractually obliged to mention that Hilton (as Theivery Corp.) was so influencial (as masters of the trip/dub/downtempo/future jazz genre and check their many remixes including our favourites Rockers HiFi).

Artist: Eric Hilton with Natalia Clavier & Puma Ptah

Title: Je ne t’aime plus (feat. Natalia Clavier) / Leave It All (feat. Puma Ptah)

Release date: 18th April, 2025

Label : Montserrat House

Catalog Number : MH029

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Eric Hilton with Natalia Clavier - Corazón Kintsugi (Montserrat House)

Eric Hilton has been on the boarders of house for nearly 30 years as half of the seminal Theivery Corporation and together with singer Natalia Clavier, the new release on the Montserrat House label, 'Corazón Kintsugi' shows how to use all that experience to craft something special.

Those house boarders have long been on the trip-hoppy jazz side, like the tone set by the title track 'Corazón Kintsugi' featuring the dreamy vocals of Argentinian singer-songwriter Natalia Clabier (who you may recall on the "Theives" album 'Saudade', one of 12 albums that they made over the years).

If you need a more of a Latin jazz-funk dancefloor vibe, 'Nene', 'Tres Sesenta' and 'Cada Vez' are the ones with a groovy bassline that nealy steals Natalia's performance. 

Hilton (as Theivery Corp.) was so influencial (as masters of the trip/dub/downtempo/future jazz genre and check their many remixes including our favourites Rockers HiFi) and with tracks like 'Amor Astral' and 'Divagar' he's lost none of the cross-over elegance (and he plays nearly all the instruments on the album) plus Clavier's Spanish/Portuguese vocals perfectly fit the Latin-world trip vibe.

Fans of Antiques Roadshow to Flog It! will know that Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold/silver/platinum dusted lacquer.  And being Japanese, it almost goes without saying that there's a philosophy at the heart of the process, the breakage and repair beng the history of the object rather than something you should attermpt to hide.  And Corazón is Spanish for heart - did you see what they did there?

Clearly, there's nowt broken or in need of repair on these nine tracks: lets dub out with 'Luna'.

Artist: Eric Hilton with Natalia Clavier 

Title: Corazón Kintsugi

Release date: 29th September, 2023

Label : Montserrat House
 

Catalog Number : MH026 Digital / Bandcamp