- Wholemeal is a label born from a party in a Shoreditch basement that's been going, in various venues, since 2009. That they've waited something like six years to release their debut record suggests maturity and a relaxed approach, qualities that Tom Esselle's debut has in abundance. Garibaldi's jazz drum kit gives it the feel of a Sun Ra-inspired jam, but it's the playful, loose-limbed way in which everything comes together that sells it.
"Until She Spoke" is the release's gem. A jumble of Rhodes keys, tossed into a thrum of brushed snares and hi-hats, lock you into the groove—only the occasional cymbal snaps you out of it. "Garibaldi" uses the same drum sounds but relies on the odd sample to punctuate its slightly less taut rhythm. The West Norwood Cassette Library remix of "Garibaldi" tightens the drums considerably and bolsters its jazz frame with a rumbling breakbeat, but some of the affable appeal of the original is lost in translation.
TracklistA1 Until She Spoke
B1 Garibaldi
B2 Garibaldi (West Norwood Cassette Library Remix)