John Shima The Lonely Machine

Good things come to those who wait - and it's been a very long wait for John Shima to drop his debut album.

After a wealth of well-executed 12-inch releases, his first full-length excursion has been scooped by Steven Rutter's B12 subsidiary, Firescope Records. Inkeeping with the B12 legacy, The Lonely Machine is ten tracks of the purest and most heartfelt electronic music you could ever hear. The album envelops you with a beautiful momentum that is matched by the stunning coloured vinyl and trademark Firescope sleeve art. Many labels could learn a trick or two from the love and attention Rutter puts into his carefully curated output.

the bar has been set very high here

'Airwaves' is just lovely, chords drifting in and out of earshot over a laid-back beat and percussion. 'Empires' is a stand-out track, likely to sound astounding on a big soundsystem as a bubbling metallic bassline lures you into head-nodding territory. It's one of Shima's finest moments to date.

Fans of Derrick May will embrace 'Phase Distortion', its machine funk paying magnificent homage to the Detroit innovator. Things get very chilled with 'Accepting', as the cosmos opens up around you with a beautiful example of modern-day electronica. As with Shima's evolving style, many bases are covered, with electro, techno and electronica all clearly intertwined.

As debut albums go, the bar has been set very high here. Hopefully the good folk of Sheffield will see a live performance from Shima sometime soon to coincide with this release.

Andy Tattersall