Bimini Road

Anjunadeep, an offshoot of Above & Beyond’s totemic trance label Anjunabeats, started out as an outlet for moody progressive house and gradually evolved into a major force in the deep-house resurgence of the 2010s. Then along came *First Landing*, the 2017 debut by Brooklyn producer Moon Boots, aka Pete Dougherty, which pointed the label toward hitherto uncharted territory: soulful nu-disco. There’s plenty of that here on *Bimini Road*—particularly the title track, a slow-motion swirl of strings, piano, and space-disco effects—but Moon Boots’ second album keeps broadening horizons, opening up to include silky R&B, ’80s pop-soul, and even skippy UK garage. When he turns his attention to deep house, the rich keys and gospel influences frequently conjure ’90s New York. You can trace elements of Moon Boots’ seven-person live show in his stacked vocal harmonies and finely tuned arrangements—his basslines are particularly captivating. Titled after an underwater site in the Bahamas that some call the lost city of Atlantis, *Bimini Road* is an architectural survey of the past few decades of club music, peeling away the layers to build a scale model of paradise.

Inspired by the "discovery" of the ruins of Atlantis at Bimini in the Bahamas, Bimini Road is a joyous listen that combines elements of soulful & melodic house, disco, and R&B. Alongside collaborators Black Gatsby, Nic Hanson, KONA, and Ross Clark (St Lucia), the album features guests including Little Boots, Niia, and members of the Harlem Gospel Choir. Moon Boots’ debut album 'First Landing' was a rare slow burn in today’s disposable music culture, steadily amassing an international following and an impressive 35 million streams since its release in August 2017. Praised by Mixmag for its “deep textures and funky melodies,” 'First Landing' has become a contemporary electronic masterpiece with support from Jason Bentley (KCRW) and Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1). With 'Bimini Road', Moon Boots has brought back collaborators from both his debut album and his ambitious 7-person live show. Black Gatsby, Nic Hanson (‘Keep The Faith’) and KONA (‘Fortune Teller’) all make appearances that help to make 'Bimini Road' Moon Boots’ most compelling musical statement to date. Ross Clark (St Lucia) contributes guitar to three of the album’s hookiest and most affecting tracks. Moon Boots’ eagerness to bring melody and songcraft to unpredictable-but-accessible club grooves make him stand out in a crowded field of beatmakers and careerists. The album also features new collaborators, including Little Boots, whose song ‘You Won’t See Me Cry’ carries echoes of Blondie, ABBA and Giorgio Moroder. LA-based pop chanteuse Niia, next-generation house diva Kaleena Zanders and Gary Saxby of the Harlem Gospel Choir round out the list of guest vocalists. Born in Brooklyn, Moon Boots gravitated to music at an early age, spending many years playing piano, keyboards, and synthesizers before he ever made a beat. Inspired by legends like Frankie Knuckles, Derrick Carter, and Paul Johnson, he moved to the home of house music, Chicago, where he played synth in an indie band and worked as a local DJ before aligning with the legendary French Express label for his earliest releases. Eventually signed to taste-making UK label Anjunadeep, Moon Boots has always stayed true to his mission of making infectious music that transcends genre. Songs not just for DJs and dance-floors, but for everyone.