'Can You See Me Now?' by Seravince

There's something about the boundlessly talented Vincent Helbers adopting his "Seravince" moniker that lends itself to a particular type of magic.  Many will be used to seeing the prolific producer, musician and studio wizard's name gracing a variety of projects under a variety of roles and responsibilities including playing keys for Richard Spaven, production for Ntjam Rosie and helming mixing and recording for projects as with Kotokid's recent 'Fledge' release. 

And then of course there's Helbers' work under the sensational broken beat meets nu jazz guise of Flowriders, punctuated by the phenomenal R.U.E.D.Y. album.

But when he wears the Seravince hat... the molecules in the studio tend to change a little.

For the uninitiated, Seravince's inaugural release came with the cult classic that was 'Hear to See' (2013) - an incredible album that served as a masterful presentation of nu jazz and neo soul enhanced by some brilliant contributions from Richard Spaven, Renee Neufville and Sharlene Hector.  Earning its Wicked Wax vinyl release in 2020, the album is a masterpiece forever open to discovery as it now enters its tenth year sounding as innovative as it did in its first.

Despite the glory that continues to surround the 'Seravince' name, it's proved to be one that has been used sparingly since its inception.  The collaborative EP, 'Junk Love', paired Seravince's production with vocalist Tjerk "Lyma" Lammers for an excellent and thought provoking project that sought to dissect the digital era of modern love.

Now in 2023, we have a new Seravince project to celebrate in 'Can You See Me Now?' which serves as a fantastic five track EP that that veers slightly more towards nu-soul territory with its lush production and smooth vocals.  Vocalist Truvi provides excellent accompaniment appearing on three of the EP's tracks including very potentially the scene-stealer in 'Words for Love' which kicks the EP off with understated but elegant production.  'Born From a Flame' harks back to Seravince's 'Hear to See' aesthetic with the return of Helbers' signature broken beat bounce and aided by vocal contributions from singer Sophie Brown and rapper Omar Rey; conversely, the EP's title track demonstrates Helbers in the less familiar setting of ballad territory but providing a sublime backdrop for Sophie Brown's excellent vocal.

The excellent 'Can You See Me Now' EP serves as another compulsory entry into the Seravince catalogue and continues to showcase Helbers' revered talents as a multi-faceted music-maker.