Artyist: Rob Madin
Track: Cherryade
Release name: Monstro
Label: Miles Away Records
Release date: 16-May-25
Buy: https://www.milesawayrecords.co.uk/product/rob-j-madin-monstro
Miles Away Records are proud to introduce a brand-new, fresh out the bag, never before released piece of music to their catalogue. In September 2024, Rob J Madin sent Miles Away a SoundCloud link featuring a collection of instrumental covers he had created. Among these were reinterpretations of tracks by Ponderosa Twins, Michael Miglio, and Rupa. Immediately drawn in, Miles Away loved both the musical approach to these covers and the fact he tastefully selected these tracks to cover. With some additional original compositions in a similar style, the result is ‘MONSTRO’, six instrumental slabs of jazz-funk heat. Produced primarily in Rob's attic studio in Sheffield. Rob showcases his talents on guitar, bass, keys, and percussion, with each track built around iconic drum samples.
Listeners can expect spacey synths, silky electric pianos, and irresistible hooks. Think BADBADNOTGOOD meets Mildlife with a side plate of Herbie Hancock. From the kick-your-door-down energy of ‘Callisto Disco’ to the slow-burning allure of ‘Heartacher’ and optimistic sunny day feel of ‘Cherryade’ to the fully grown earworm synth lines of ‘Bouquet Garni’. In addition to the four original songs, the collection features two cover versions from that initial SoundCloud link: Michael Miglio's ‘Never Gonna Let You Go’ and Rupa's ‘Ayee Morshume Be-Reham Duniya’. Both are rare early-80s gems, wonderfully reimagined by Madin.
Reflecting on the release, Rob shared: "I’ve been obsessed with the sounds of 70s jazz-funk since discovering Herbie Hancock’s 'Head Hunters' album as a teenager. I love that it seems to be having a resurgence of popularity through bands like Surprise Chef and BadBadNotGood, as well as some great reissues from labels like Miles Away. This EP is a nod to both the old and the new."
