Simon Herody - Hard Lounge (RWR)

The Slow Music Movement
Jul 2
1 min read

*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's June 27th Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***

The cover art for Simon Herody's, Hard Lounge album, consisting of an abstract painting in a Picasso style, with geometric shapes in red, blue, and green. Features intersecting blocks and triangles on a yellow and blue backdrop.

Simon Herody is a new name to me but I’m now following with interest. He hails from the South of France, but has swapped the sun for Berlin’s more testing climes in recent times, although I’m sure there have been musical benefits galore for this talented multi-instrumentalist.

Simon Herody looking enigmatic and contemplative, wearing a blue shirt and holding an oboe in a leafy forest, wearing a purple scarf and blue jacket. Autumn leaves on ground.

His new LP for RWR grew from solo gigs in hotel lobbies where he used to half improvise the sets, probably for his own amusement. I certainly became self indulgent when I was a resident DJ at a Trafalgar Square boutique hotel many moons ago, the audience weren’t particularly receptive to say the least. As a result there’s a distinctly lounge music vibe running throughout, albeit a cosmic kitsch one, and I imagine the hotel guests being more Wes Anderson than the rather awkward, chino clad, newly wealthy.

Vintage synth sounds abound driven by equally dated preset machine rhythms, although there’s admirable attention to sonic detail with all sorts of regular lysergic infusions, restrained but on point jazz licks and some lowkey early 80’s funkiness that rescues the smoother moments from dinner jazz purgatory.

If you like the hipper, collectible end of vintage library music or just want an easy but satisfying jazz injected cosmic lounge trip then this comes highly recommended, but please dress appropriately, cigarette holders and waxed moustaches are particularly welcome.