Rare, Forever is UK producer Leon Vynehall’s 2nd full-length album (or 4th, depending on how you classify it), following 2018’s deeply personal Nothing Is Still, a concept album depicting his grandparents’ laborious emigration from London to New York that mostly eschewed his trademark deep house sound. This one’s sprouted from the same compulsion to explore the deeply personal: “an album about my own psyche.” There’s shades of styles Vynehall has explored previously, like the mushy strings on cinematic opener “Ecce! Ego!” or the overgrown ambient of “Farewell! Magnus Gabbro” - but here he triples the magnification on those slides, revealing previously unseen textures that are equal shares beautiful and scaley; razorwire house rhythms are spliced with jazzy sax lines and snatches of blurry dialogue. With all the deep psychiatric maneuvering going down, there’s still room for functional club tools, i.e. the polyrhythmic drum flex “Dumbo” and fuzzy garage stepper "Snakeskin ∞ Has-Been.” Better still, the low key night moves of “Mothra” and minimal synth twistup “An Exhale” will take your breath away. Limited edition maroon vinyl edition exclusively available from Turntable Lab in North America, includes 10” booklet and download code with packaging designed by Eric Timothy Carlson. Recommended.

• maroon colored vinyl
• Turntable Lab North America exclusive
• deluxe outer sleeve w/ spot varnish print, printed inner sleeve + 16 page booklet
• digital download included 
• limited edition of 400
• music label: Ninja Tune 2021

reviewed by Fusilli Jerry 02/2021