Montreal producer Louis Kevin Celestin has had to make do with Soundcloud fame since 2012, when his striking remix of Janet Jackson’s If made a viral impact in the dance community.
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It served him well, leading to lucrative DJ gigs around the world but failing to provide him with much free time to make a debut album.
Creative freedom may have been even harder to find given that he still shares a basement bedroom/studio with his younger brother, with his Haitian mother upstairs.
Next month his first long-player, 99.9%, finally arrives and it’s a stunning effort, mixing house and R&B while sounding far ahead of its time. There’s a woozy soulfulness to tracks such as Vivid Dreams, and a guest list that intrigues on its own: everyone from US rappers Vic Mensa and Anderson .Paak to British soul people AlunaGeorge and the suddenly credible Craig David.
He pops up as a guest himself on next week’s new Katy B album, suggesting that his distinctive hybrid sound is becoming ever more central to music right now.
May 13, Troxy, E1 (020 7790 9000, troxy.co.uk)