The most anticipated album of the year is here and a perfect way for Bastard Jazz Recordings to celebrate their 25th anniversary with lovetempo and 'There Is A Light' - turn it on!
Nearly a year since the release of the 'But I Do' single/remixes (see review HERE) so it's been a while 'till we've got our hands on the album by lovetempo (aka Mattie Safer) who made his name in The Rapture and Poolside before going solo.
The 'But I Do' single was one of Gilles Peterson's most favourite tracks of last year so I'm still hopefully that lovetempo will be on the bill at Peterson's 'We Out Here' Festival this year (especially as the US tour dates have been announced - see below).
But this isn't just NY trendy soul/funk/disco dance hits as there's a downtempo space shuffle of 'Maybe In Another Life' and talking of trendy, Mattie duets with Kate Mattison (of 79.5) on the track 'I Wanna Be With You' (79.5 also having featured on Fouks' recent 'Sundays' EP - see review HERE) and it's strangely in a Sunday Nite radio funk groove that harks to Motown boy/girl love songs - even Rick James & Teena Marie (Ed. that's one for the teenagers).
And if that's reminds you of some steamy 'Portuguese Love' the album ends on a couple of tracks, 'By Your Side' that has that Latin rolling percussion and hot lyrics that peaks with some out-there synth followed by a blues (of sort), 'A Miracle Or Two' with a bar room sax solo.
What this album highlights is how good this guy is in a variety of styles whether its the soulful 'Never The Same', the pacey Charles Stepney-ish 'Thinking About You', the 'disco' bell-ringer opener 'The Right Way' or the clappy gospel sing-a-long 'pop' of the title track, 'There Is A Light'
As an aside, I played the Rapture big hit at a vinyl only night recently, 'House Of Jealous Lovers' from 2002 on the super trendy (at the time) DFA and this guy got super excited telling me his brother, his trendy older one, played it repeatedly back in the day and it held really good memories for him - 'There Is A Light' will no doubt do the same for folks today - let it shine people!
BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://ffm.to/thereisalight_lp.HGW
US.upcoming live dates
4/26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right (Album Release Show)5/6 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gold Diggers (Album Release Show)
5/12 - Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA*
5/13 - Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s*
5/17 - Providence, RI @ The Parlour*
5/23 - San Francisco, CA @ Madrone Art Bar (Hybrid DJ set)
6/10 - Mexico City, DF @ Tonál (Album Release Show)
7/31 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Airliner^
8/1 - San Diego, CA @ TBC^
8/2 - Phoenix, AZ @ TBC^
*with Meghan Dowlen
^with Social Lovers
Artist: lovetempo
Title: There Is A Light
Release date: 17th April, 2026
Label: Bastard Jazz
Cat. No: TBC
Format: Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp
P.S. Gilles Peterson's interview with lovetempo on Lot Radio (in association with Worldwide FM) from NYC for the Winter Jazz Festival starts 12:00 and the whole show is worth a listen
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