Paul White is the London based producer responsible for the heavy psychedelic beats that back left-field US rap giants such as Danny Brown and Homeboy Sandman. So you might expect a similarly high dosage of acidic grittiness on his latest solo album. The headiness that White’s come to be associated with is present on his seventh solo LP Rejuvenate, but it’s of a gentler quality here. Rather than mine his usual sources of 60s electronics or Middle Eastern funk to make hip-hop beats, this time around White has opted to play the entire thing with live instruments.

Still, residues of his favoured sound sources linger on Rejuvenate. But it’s when White ditches the script that things get gripping. The title cut is a blur of warm electronic chords and propulsive drums, helixes of guitar spinning in space, and Returning unwinds a circular riff drenched in reverb. Halfway through, a lolloping beat joins in with subtle smears of synth. Soul Reunion has White himself singing, and his voice is the most disarming quality of this bittersweet song. While Rejuvenate might leave you craving for a few of the spikier sounds from his earlier productions, at its best the LP is a commendable excursion into unusual territory.