This Is My Home' is the stunning debut from New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based producer Lanu (aka Lance Ferguson).
Brimming with future soul and broken beat flavours, forward-thinking production and intuitive jazz sensibility, this longplayer marks a distinct departure from the raw, deep funk sound of Ferguson's other project, The Bamboos. Informed and inspired by the digital rhythms of West London and Detroit, Ferguson delivers an infectious hybrid of contemporary soul music, jazz, funk and expertly programmed beats.
This effortless eclecticism is hardly surprising, given Lanu's musical heritage. Grandson of New Zealand's first ever recording artist, he has toured as a session guitarist for Joe Bataan, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Bembe Segue and the Quantic Soul Orchestra. With his Antipodean deep funk outfit The Bamboos, Lance has recorded for such respected independent labels as Freestyle, Soul Force, Kay Dee and (of course) Tru Thoughts - while his passion for DJing has taken him all over Europe and Asia. It is these experiences and influences which Lance has drawn on for the album - assimilating and incorporating them into an hour-long Australasian future soul opus.
'Dis-Information' - the first single to be lifted from the album - is an up-tempo discourse on the media built around a punchy Moog bassline, angular Rhodes chords and an insistent break.
'Mother Earth' teams up Quantic and vocalist Aloe Blacc for a broken Afro-beat workout that calls out for us to respect the planet or face the consequences.
The album also features guest appearances by keyboardist Simon Grey and New Zealand vocalist, Cherie Mathieson.
Uniting the sounds of broken beat, hip hop, house, soul, Latin and jazz, Lanu has succeeded in creating an album with enough depth and versatility to work just as well on a decent set of headphones as it does on a club soundsystem.