German producer Klaus Layer releases his debut LP, The Adventures of Captain Crook, on Redefinition Records.

About a year ago, Damu The Fudgemunk uploaded a video on YouTube out of the blue (as he often does), but this wasn’t the usual behind-the-beat style snippets of the producer creating classics  in his cavern of vinyl and Bruce Lee posters, this was an introduction to someone new; at least new to me.

The loose narrative, of what was essentially a trailer, saw Klaus Layer (fka Captain Crook) plundering the crates, taking the loot back to base, and slipping into a nostalgic daydream whilst making a beat before taking it all to burst eardrums at his show that night. It’s that trippy interlude in the middle that’s key; that inspirational bolt that strikes whilst in the heat of creation which, as Klaus says himself, “flows through my mind and through my fingers” as he taps on the MPC.

It’s a look into Klaus’ mind which, as the aptly titled track on his debut LP on Redefinition Records ‘In My Mind’ shows us, is full of constructs of psychedelic folk and rock (you might have presumed as much from the bell-bottom typeface on the albums cover), and, of course, knock-heavy beats. As is often the case with this cross-pollination of styles, we get a lot of welcome heterogeneity in sound. Between the benevolently mesmerising flute and string combination that induces the whole experience on ‘All Of The Time’, the coarse organ backdrop on the aforementioned ‘In My Mind’ and the siren-like vocals mined from a bygone era that fade in and out of themselves throughout the entire album, these are some of most multifarious yet straight-up beats you’ll hear.  Then there’s ‘Company’ which, for indescribable reasons, would make great night boating music. In fact, I’d put it right up there with Pete Rock’s remix beat to Jamal’s ‘Fades ‘Em All‘ as essential playlist material for those of you who live the Dexter Morgan night-aquatics life.

Keeping all of these sounds on course is the the albums dense percussive spine. Klaus is swinging some weighty drums on The Adventures of Captain Crook, and he does so with the knack of his Hip-Hop heroes with a prodigious grasp on the perpetual motion of thumping kicks and dessicated snares; his blood-type is evidently boom-bap. I can foresee arguments that may say the drum patterns are uninspired, but I don’t see them as trying to plough new frontiers, I see them more like that familiar, frayed sweater.  Fans of the sound will know what Klaus is about and, like me, will keep this in heavy rotation until the producer’s next release.

The Adventures of Captain Crook is out now on CD, Vinyl and Digital via Redefinition Records