Flevans

 

The multi-talented instrumentalist, DJ and producer Flevans’ musical career took off when a demo tape assembled on an old four-track (whilst the producer should have been attending lectures at veterinary college) made its way to Rob Luis. Impressed, he immediately signed the project up to the renowned Tru Thoughts imprint for a string of EPs on the label. Settling in alongside label mates Bonobo and Quantic, Flevans found his feet quickly with his first three 12” releases on the label selling out in record time.

 

Flevans' early work showcased a love of classic funk and soul, contemporary beats Collecting the standout tracks of these EPs into one glorious studio album, his first LP ‘Make New Friends’ debuted on the Brighton imprint to critical acclaim.

 

Flevans' following studio album ‘Unfabulous’ (Jack To Phono) saw him experimenting with a blend of his signature samples and live instrumentation. This naturally led to his third studio album '27 Devils' being his first totally sample-free LP (he played keys, bass, guitars, percussion and even lent a few vocal snippets) and also his first work collaborating with vocalists Sarah Scott and Shona Foster. The album was quickly snapped up by Tru Thoughts. Throughout this time Flevans  DJ'ed across the globe with no less than 5 tours of North America and Asia to appease those hungry for his raw sets, whilst high profile syncs with Nokia, BSkyB, DFS & ESPN also showed a ravenous appetite for his sounds on the screen as well as in the flesh. 

 

2016’s LP ‘A Distant View’ (LOA Records) saw a return to his roots showcasing an array of instrumental funk, soul and downtempo tracks, which displayed his compositional and multi-instrumental confidence.

 

Long considered a member of the extended family, 2018 saw Flevans arrive at his spiritual home of Jalapeno Records. Signing his 5th LP ‘Part-Time Millionaire’ the release saw him furthering his trajectory of song-led compositions, including more collaborations than ever with the talented Elliott Cole, Laura Vane, Sarah Scott, and Izo FitzRoy all lending their vocals to the record.  

 

Converting Flevans permanently to his song-led approach he quickly got back to the studio to strike while the iron was hot and after dedicating months to writing and recording he delivered the follow up ‘Accumulate’ for release in 2020. The title was born of Flevans’ tendencies to amalgamate a wide spanning collection of influences altogether, fusing funk, soul, disco, pop and electronica yet still stamping it with his own unique sonic signature.    

 

 ‘Accumulate’ is a brilliantly rounded collection, with emotive peaks expertly balanced out by carefree dance tracks. Yes, it marks the next step in the evolution of Flevans, but above all else it’s just a damn fine record.