Small Circle of Friends

On Small Circle of Friends, the Maxwell Implosion (aka Torsten Heller) collaborates with a posse of savvy European techno-lounge lizards to create the ultimate hipster cocktail-party soundtrack. Akin to Esquivel, Air, and Burt Bacharach, the Maxwell Implosion taps into jazz, bossa nova, soul, and R&B to create a soothing blend of easy listening pop. French chanteuse Laila France waxes seductive on "L' Homme en Peluche" and "Lailove," two up-tempo tracks peppered with sensuous spoken word, funky keyboards, and percolating basslines, while Brazilian songstress Pat C. raps romantic over sampled hip-hop rhythms in "Tic Tac." The majority of the disc is given to instrumental grooves abetted by Heller's swatches of effects-laden vocal melodies which embellish the cool beats. Small Circle is a timeless collection, worthy of space-age bachelor pads from the 1950s to the present day and beyond.