Audiopile Review: After flooring us with his debut back in 2023, London-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Sholto returns to Funk Night for a sprawling 2xLP set that raises the level of ambition hinted at previously. Sholto’s expansive vision is ably captured across these 26 tracks with the activation of a large ensemble, a staggering 14 musicians contribute to his audacious sophomore effort. Rarely settling on simplistic genre exercises, he strikes on a lush and vibrant synthesis of jazz, lounge, soul and funk, knowingly nodding to a psychedelia-tinged library/soundtrack aesthetic that makes it hard to place in time. Visions of Piero Umiliani’s genre-bending library LPs, David Axelrod’s grandiose baroque psych, Stereolab’s jazzier side, and even Bobby Hutcherson’s cerebral modal period all come through here. But it’ll be hard for some not to hear contemporary touchstones here as well, from the wide-screen vistas conjured by the likes of Misha Panfilov and Sven Wunder, and down to the contemplative, orchestral grooves of Surprise Chef and Ironsides. Shimmering harps intertwine with vibraphones that ring in the air, star-signalling Moogs melt into dreamy slide guitar, while peppery horn sections puncture low-slung grooves, all of it an impressive confluence of styles that Sholto bends at will, belying the composer’s shocking age at a mere 30 years old. A direct hit at the sweet centre of cinematic soul that, admittedly, has more misses than hits these days. Huge recommendation. Limited edition pressing on “smoked white” vinyl, housed in a gatefold, tip-on jacket.

Having found support from tastemakers including Gilles Peterson, Deb Grant, Jyoty and Tony Minvielle for last year’s EP ‘The Changing Tides Of Dreams’, SHOLTO returns with his forthcoming album ‘Letting Go of Forever’ – a 26-track expansive double LP, scheduled to drop later this year on DeepMatter Records / Funk Night Records.

Drawing inspiration from Mozart’s ‘Lacrimosa’ and the work of David Axelrod, the album’s first offering ‘For The Love Of Stripes’ combines moving strings and choral orchestration with swirling flutes and twinkling percussion to create a hazy instrumental with moody, nostalgic undertones. SHOLTO took the imagery of stripes, applying a linear concept to his composition style, he shares:

“Stripes divide space and bind forms, and are inherently associated with in nature as a warning and signalling of the audacious. They grab attention and at the same time tell us to stay away. Throughout history, they have been the outfit for the outcast or maverick – I thought applying this linear concept to a piece of music could be interesting.”

The album’s second offering ‘Ligurian Storm’ was dreamt up on a stormy train ride from Milan to The Ligurian Region of Italy, and creates a mystical blend of harp, strings, vibraphone and synths to mirror the build of a growing storm swallowing a beautiful landscape. Musically sitting somewhere in between the Cinematic Orchestra and Surprise Chef, SHOLTO reflects: “I wanted to capture a scene of outstanding beauty becoming engulfed in clouds and rain as I watched the light disappear. A reminder of how quickly the tides can turn in any situation.”

Oscar ‘SHOLTO’ Robertson is a drummer, instrumentalist, producer & composer based in London. Growing up with a love for jazz, soul, kraut, and 60s & 70s soundtracks, his music expresses a warm array of colours, analogue instrumental grooves and euphoric sentimentality. His music career began in 2013, when a record deal took him to LA, leading to him working with producers like Nick Waterhouse (Allah-Las) before returning to the UK and collaborating with the likes of Inflo (Cleo Sol), and Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Squid). He is also one half of the production duo Sunglasses For Jaws.

With a writing style inspired by soundtrack composers from the 1950s-1970s like Piero Umiliani & David Axelrod, he also sits alongside soulful-soundtrack contemporaries like Robohands and The Ironsides. 2023’s ‘The Changing Tides Of Dreams’ introduced listeners to his world of psychedelic-infused, euphoric arrangements, drawing on disciplines from the world of film & classical music, as well as jazz and experimental arrangement techniques.