This year’s release from Alfred Darlington as Daedelus proves to be a solid danceable pop production from the likes of this daredevil in the LA beat scene, with a sonic palette featuring a range of styles in instrumentation and a variety of vocalists.

Bespoke appropriately starts off with “Tailor Made,” featuring a dance-floor-friendly beat, weaving vocals from Milosh and shiny synths. “Sew, Darn, Mend” follows with guitars and drums setting the scene for Daedelus’s whimsical imagination. Inara George’s vocals for “Penny Loafers” are layered over a steady, crunchy beat which bring out a melancholic brooding as it segues into “The One and Lonely,” which uses a similar approach in gaining emotional power with Young Dad’s vocals.

Daedelus brings back MC Busdriver, one of his favorite collaborators for previous releases, to sing with “What Can You Do?” beginning with a bit of a stutter as it returns the listener to the dance floor. “French Cuffs” reintroduces a more somber tone with Bath’s spooky melody over broken beats, drawing in the dream-gazey “In Tatters” with the synths seemingly floating away. And just to keep us on our toes, “Slowercase D” appears, sounding like a depressed version of “Trouble with a Capital D” (released on Ninja Tunes XX Vol. 2) that rocks the listener to the final full track “Overwhelmed” with wobbling synths accompanying guitars and Bilal’s vocals over a two-step drum pattern to mix up the LA sound before it’s neatly wrapped up with the old-timey samples in “Nightcap.”

This LP is one of Daedelus’s more danceable and organized creations yet. In comparison to his earlier releases, Bespoke makes for easy listening for those not so keen on his edgier, experimental productions, though he certainly doesn’t slack on carrying his voice as an innovator, storyteller, and explorer of sound and art.

Bespoke was released April 11 2011 on Ninja Tune

• Tag: Clubs, daedelus, Electronic Music, experimental, LA beats, Reviews