- From the land of the Rising Sun comes Caia with an album that is probably best listened to during a rising sun or a setting one - The Magic Dragon. Helped out by none other than Groove Armada's Andy Cato on production, The Magic Dragon is one for those blissful moments, sitting around, lounging about and possibly under the spell of a Magic Dragon.
If you can imagine Groove Armada in their more chilled out phases, then Caia is pretty much the same. The Magic Dragon maintains that slow-mo GA feel utilising funky bass, hip hop breaks, and jazzy horns.
However there are some "uplifting" moments such as the opener The Rose Room - definitely a funky opening tune with the funked up bass and scratches - and Heavy Weather on an old skool hip hop breakbeat tip with generous use of female vocals on top.
What makes this album really shine are the mellow moments - the soulful piano on Rememberance and Afterwards @ The Bar, the female vocals on Subway Freedom and the really laidback beats on Mr Gone with a nice ragga feel on the percussion.
For those out there who like Nightmares On Wax and tunes from the Cafe Del Mar series and of course Groove Armada, The Magic Dragon may just be the creature to inhabit the realm of the CD player. It's pretty smooth listening and does not require much to get heads nodding.