Live Review: PREMIERE: Horatio Luna and Foshe team up for jazz house track 'Coconuts' for new label Inner Sauce

It didn't take long for UK producer Zepherin Saint to fall in love with the seemingly endless array of talent in Naarm/Melbourne when he relocated to the city recently. A place where diverse culture thrives, the city's extensive musical networks provided the inspiration for Saint to kick off a new project as he endeavoured to return to warmth and positivity in a time when we all need it most. So, he curated and created a label which focuses firmly on a live instrumentation sound he's always had an affinity for, and Inner Sauce was born.

Aiming to give a spotlight to the strong scene in Melbourne where this sound has flourished, Zepherin wishes to bring many of the artists to a wider audience. "Australia is swarming with talent, and the world needs to hear it," he said.

Maintaining a collaborative spirit, Zepherin tapped none other than scene figurehead Horatio Luna for the label's first release: a 13-track compilation which explores the breadth of the jazzy house and live instrumentation acts around him. Recruiting the likes of Aka Zeb, Beatnik Collective, Don Glori, AstroVillain, Close Counters, Special Feelings, On-Ly, JK Group and many more, Horatio Luna has managed to distill this extraordinary network of talented artists into just a handful of tracks, and does an exemplary job of ensure the many facets and subgenres in this sound are represented. He also features throughout the record himself as well under his John Henderson guise, with the trio Lush Life, and in collaborative tracks with Dufrense and Foshe — the latter of which we have the pleasure of premiering for you today.

Recorded in Sydney while he was in town for a show, Horatio Luna linked up with Foshe for a session and 'Coconuts' was the result. Not bad at all in our opinion! A heady mix of peculiar and off-kilter percussion and rich, warm keys, 'Coconuts' is a writhing, dynamic and unpredictable journey into the jazzy house sound that is on full display throughout this entire compilation. Upping the ante as it snakes its way along, 'Coconuts' enters a frenzied state without ever losing control: both Horatio Luna and Foshe remaining comfortably in the driver's seat as they take you along for the drive. Fresh, lively and so much fun to listen to, 'Coconuts' is a highlight in a compilation stacked absolutely full of them.

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The end result is a window into the Australian scene, and a generous and shining showcase of all involved. It's also a tremendous debut release and first impression for Inner Sauce, a label which cements itself as one to watch with its very first offering. To celebrate the release and get to know more about it, we had a quick chat with Horatio Luna who gave us a bit more of a rundown about Inner Sauce, the curation of the release and what's still to come. Listen to 'Coconuts' here and read our interview below!

<a href="https://innersauce.bandcamp.com/album/inner-sauce-volume-1">Inner Sauce Volume 1 by Foshe X Horatio Luna</a>

There is such a broad mix of artists on this compilation. What was your intent in curating this release with these artists?

Looking for the illusive jazzy house / house fusion sound. The emergence of electronica through jazz and vice versa. House feels played by a live band with a sensibility to improvising, experimentation and funk music. I hear Harvey Sutherland in this music !

This compilation is the debut release on Inner Sauce - what does the presence of this new label mean for the Naarm/Melbourne community?

Inner Sauce is a new platform for dance music across the country, I'm excited to see how it can strengthen the bond between the Australian and UK music scene.

Can you tell us a bit about working with Zepherin Saint and what his influence was on this release?

Zepherin was interested in exploring the jazzy house sound and i facilitated the artists. We developed a criteria and together we coordinated the track listing. Dean is a dream to work with and I’m a huge fan of his music, so it’s been a pleasure. I’ve also learnt a lot about dance floor sensibility from him through this process.

Australian dance music continues to evolve at rapid rates, and has now transformed into so many sub-cultures and communities. This release focuses on a more "live club music" angle - why was this important to showcase?

My kind of live club music is Jazzy House, that's the music that I make so that's what we where exploring. Its new music informed by Harvey Sutherland and twisted and screwed by jazz concepts and ideas.

What else is coming up for Inner Sauce and Horatio Luna?

Zepherin Saint and my band Lush Life have a collaborative release coming up on the label. Dean’s currently talking with a diverse range of artists from Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. I can’t wait to see what he does next!

Inner Sauce Volume 1 is out April 30th. Buy here.

1. Aka Zeb - Tucked Away

2. Lush Life, Zepherin Saint - Somfl

3. Beatnik Collective - Peer Pressure

4. JK Group - Seeds

5. On-Ly - How's That

6. Special Feelings - Final Countdown Goose

7. Foshe & Horatio Luna - Coconuts

8. Bentley - Been a While

9. AstroVillain - Electric Stress

10. Don Glori - After Hours

11. John Henderson - Vamping for Days