Following a string of standalone single releases and the warmly-received EP 'The Changing Tides of Dreams' (2023), Oscar "SHOLTO" Robertson unveils his highly-anticipated full-length project in 'Letting Go of Forever'.
Finding its home alongside the litany of recent and outstanding DeepMatter releases - including Don Glori's 'Don't Forget to Have Fun', Matt Wilde's 'It's a Delight EP' and The Offline's 'Les cigales' - Robertson proves as adept as his acclaimed label mates in presenting exquisite sonic soundscapes that serve as delectable melting pots for a range of influences and styles.
A self-professed enthusiast for 60s and 70s soundtracks and the German psychedelic-rock-meets-avant-garde electronic aesthetic of krautrock, Robertson's music has long-served to wear its heart on its sleeve further demonstrating his affections for progressive genre-encompassing music-makers with a tribute performance for David Axelrod at London's Jazz Café, February of this year.
While Axelrod may be rightly revered as an artist that sought to push beyond the confines of musical boundaries and restrictions, his indelible imprint continues to permeate through to future generations namely through artists like SHOLTO and projects like 'Letting Go of Forever'.
As a producer and multi-instrumentalist, Robertson regards the ambitious 26-track project as an opportunity to showcase the range of skills and wonderful talents available to him, but also to embrace the opportunity to interweave these sublime and intricate musical narratives across an infinitely broad sonic palette.
'Letting Go of Forever' delivers as an enlightening and glorious tapestry of styles that employ the right amounts of jazz, hip-hop and soul-infused instrumentals that beautifully enrich SHOLTO's inspired and imaginative compositions instilling them with scintillating life. From the lush Roy Ayers-esque 'The Seahorse' to the noir jazz of 'There Was a Boy' to the underpinned orchestral beauty of album opener 'Ligurian Storm', each track cultivates its own personality and statement of intent cementing this album as the incredibly high standard all of his subsequent work will be measured against.
'Letting Go of Forever' proves to be an exceptional project that positions SHOLTO as an artist respectful of the foundations established by names like David Axelrod but also as an artist definitively carving out his own path ahead. One that will no doubt inspire others in time to come.
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