April Dreams by Quintin Copper & Nas Mellow

Hands up in the air and a warm welcome applause for the two newest funkateers on the Holy Mothership of Funk: Quintin Copper and Nas Mellow.

Even if their names do not immediately suggest it, the latest signing of Sonar Kollektiv comes from the cozy surroundings of Tübingen. Though the sound of Quintin Copper & Nas Mellow can be assigned quite well to the musical heritage of the region around Tübingen and Stuttgart. This is where the funk and soul of Germa- ny has been at home for a long time now. So it comes as little surprise that it was none other than Rainer Trüby who brought the funky, soulful duo from Baden-Württemberg to the attention of Sonar Kollektiv.

After the two singles «Breathe Easy» and «Paradise» (including a remix by DJ Spinna), the debut album «April Dreams» is ready for the big breakthrough this summer.

And the music on the nine-track-strong record couldn‘t fit better to the warm, carefree season. The individual songs can be located somewhere between disco, neo soul, hip-hop and funk, but in it‘s entirety the album will rewrite the history of funk made in Germany.

The opener and title track «April Dreams» provides the euphoric, spherical synth prelude and shows perfectly what kind of musical luminary we are dealing with in the person of Quintin Copper. His arrangements, his productions and his sensitivity at the keyboard are downright intoxicating. With the voice and songwriting talent of Nas Mellow (real name Nasir Marc Imam), the Canadian-born artist has found his congenial partner.

On «Paradise» he already seduces us with his charming soulful voice and follows it up on «Found Myself» with a rap that has just as much flow as swag. Whether rapping or singing, Nas Mellow spreads good spirits throughout the album and at the same time always provides just right enough depth. Two attributes that apply to the whole album, by the way.

The more you listen to the nine tracks back to back, the clearer it gets: «April Dreams» is a true contender for «Album of the Year».