Charles Afton - Lost Sunset Lounge

Kriztal Entertainment is quickly becoming well known for its pseudo-jazz (or new jazz) releases and compilations. Some of the albums are excellent and above average, and some of them have been completely awful. I find myself now with a new full-length Kriztal release in my hands; this one is called LOST SUNSET LOUNGE from Charles Afton. Charles is a novel producer whose work has been featured in a more than a few good remixes and compilations. Now at last, he is ready to go forward with his first full-length album. Kriztal thought so highly of it, they added a lengthy DVD just for kicks. The DVD is imagery of a Key West sunset - that's it. The imagery is supposed to mesh with the title and content of the album, although my own visual concept as I listened to the album is somewhat different.

The album as a whole might come off to some as light and loungy background music for a cocktail party or hormone-fueled conversations. I find it to be a bit darker than most would suspect; in fact, more of a deep night album indeed. The jazz influence is extremely strong with Afton's productions and compositions, and it shines though in nearly every track on the album.

Another note I should make is that guitarist Paul Barrientos Jr. stands out throughout the album as a whole, yet the instrumentalist is not performing as LIVE and in full effect as I would like to hear.

"Roadster" begins with a bit of Caribbean percussion to set the mood, and features guitar, bass, light piano melodies, and a hidden shehnai in background of the latter part of the song. I suppose that this is also a deep house track, and not the instant shot of lounge that I expected.

"Therapy" mixes with previous track with a funky groove breakbeat, guitar licks, bass, electric piano melodies, conga percussion, and a few spare synth sax shots.

"Fast Cars / Naked Women" comes in with a jazz kit percussion set-up that moves into a hip-hop breakbeat. It features synth strings arrangements, guitar melodies, pitched electric piano solo melodies, and has a nice chill feel to it altogether.

"Agent Dream" is a little harder on the hip-hop groove, and features some Led Zeppelin "Kashmir" styled strings shots, female vocals, electric piano melodies, and a funky clav solo to boot. It starts us further into that darker feel I was explaining earlier.

"Dub Fight" has a nice trip-hop groove, with a bit of percussion, guitar, cinematic synth string stabs, piano tickling, and nice organ movements with piano and strings.

"JaGuBa" has a light intro with some upright bass and African percussion. It features darker sounds, minimal vocal and bansuri samples, reverbed synth melodies, and is extremely groovy.

"A Shade Cool" begins with light conga percussion, soft guitar, upright bass, intelligent synth arrangements, and then darkens with a jungle-styled breakbeat at the half-way mark, eventually working out featuring percussion and guitar.

"People" has a sort of dancehall groove and features a sawed-synth line, nice bass, Caribbean percussions, bansuri instrumentation, and electric piano melodies.

"Bird Sky Blue" has some nice Caribbean percussion, synth pads and electric piano melodies, guitar, eventually breaking out into a light jungle rhythm. With a nice DnB sub-bass line to drive it, the track is actually light and groovy.

"Belize Azure" has more of the conga percussion and funky trip-hop groove. It features a bit of jazzy electric piano that takes most of the melody, with sweeping electro sounds and a throbbing bassline.

"Beautiful Mind" has a nice swelling string

arrangement, female vocal samples, electric piano, and a few synthy brass stabs. Once again, the album moves back into deep house mode.

"Dance at the Sunset Fire" is a funkier west-coast style house groove, with some nice funky bass to go with it. The track features buzzy synth and melodies, guitar, and at one point - a Led Zeppelin-styled guitar section that was more than a little uncanny. It also has a funky, pitched electric piano that takes the lead in a few parts.

"Prelude to a Groove" brings us around to a Chicago styled house groove with conga percussion, and a deep and buzzy bass line. The track seems a little out of place with its dark progressive synth work and trancey synth harp melodies.

"Midnight Fire" comes back down to earth with a simple hip-hop breakbeat, piano, synth swells, and guitar. We finish the album with this light and groovy track featuring brass and flute accents. (Sounds like wine tasting doesn't it?)

Overall, I think that Afton will find his place among the great lounge compilations of 2004-2005 with these tracks. Lost Sunset Lounge is not a groundbreaking electrojazz album by any means, but it is a solid studio production with insightful arrangements and feel.