Acclaimed Dutch Producer, DJ and Master of funk BAKERMAT releases his highly anticipated second album ‘The Spirit’ on vinyl today.
The collection of work is Bakermat at his best and oozes high-energy and addictive beats. Consistently steps ahead when it comes down to his forward-thinking sound and unmatchable soundscapes, Bakermat built anticipation for the record with recently released gospel-house single ‘Ain’t Nobody’, enlisting LaShun Pace for the collaborative triumph.
The album also included ‘Walk That Walk’ with Nic Hanson, which between them amassed a growing amount of over 4 Million streams – a foreshadowing of the success that’s yet to come with ‘The Spirit’. Incorporating musical elements that span across the entire sound spectrum, Bakermat continues to craft a mesmerising body of work by using jazz instrumentals, vibrant chimes, spoken word and powerful vocals that blend together seamlessly.
Raised in a music-centric home by an opera-singing mother and jazz enthusiast father, Bakermat’s formative years were spent gathering inspiration from some of music’s most pure sounds. As Bakermat takes over 2021 with this impressive new album to add to his career highlights, he explains; “I wanted to go back to the roots with this album. Combining gospel, soul and folk samples with uplifting pianos and saxophones to create a collection of feel-good songs perfect for the summer. The diversity in styles and genres is high and I experimented with elements of classical music and spoken word too. I hope this album can serve as a soundtrack for road trips, holidays and other fun times with friends and family. And lastly, I hope it inspires and connects people.”
It’s hard to find a collection of songs that are so diverse yet sonically blend so well together, with a range of different genres and styles that complement each other perfectly.
Album opener and title track ‘The Spirit’ is the perfect introduction to the records journey and samples the incredible ‘Spirit In The Dark’ by the legendary Aretha Franklin. Bakermat explains “I’m so proud that I got permission to use this sample of Aretha, the all-time queen of soul. I combined her beautiful, powerful voice with a jazzy piano and a phat house beat to create a simple yet effective classic house track.”
Other tracks include ‘The River’, the experimental ‘Frozen’ and ‘From Paris To Amsterdam’, which was written back in 2012 whilst Bakermat was travelling between shows on a train. He explains “I just played my very first show outside of my home country and was in a state of complete bliss. The track is quite simple but playing this in shows all around the world for years I can say it is really effective. I’m really happy to finally be able to release it!”
The album ends with the beautiful ‘Bye Bye’, which is a collaboration with friend Lex Empress. A fan of spoken word, Bakermat wanted to create a simple interlude style track to close the album with and from that, ‘Bye Bye’ was born. It’s simple, very subtle and emotional and it’s a great way to end the ride through all the worlds that live within ‘The Spirit’.
‘The Spirit’ Tracklist
Side A
The Spirit
Walk That Walk w/ Nic Hanson
You’ve Got Me Where You Want Me
Ain’t Nobody (feat. LaShun Pace)
The River
Drunk Baby On A Saturday Night
Side B
Frozen
Tapdancer
From Paris To Amsterdam
Chorale
Resist
Bye Bye (feat. Lex Empress)
