2013

2013 is the debut album from Justin Velor, a vibrant Technicolor collision of styles ("you might call it a musical Dr. Frankenstein," he says) incorporating everything from Vangelis-inspired synth drones and nocturnal acid house rhythms to tender folk melodies and psychedelic flourishes. "I wanted to make a fantastical soundscape with colourful dynamics and a soul," he explains.

Helping him with his vision 'Velor' called upon some of the finest of Manchester's rich alternative music heritage. Working closely on the project were Doves frontman Jez Williams and 808 State founding member Graham Massey, who both figured heavily in the production and writing of the album, while another Manc icon, Teenage Fanclub's Gerry Love, adds a stunning cameo on the Eastern-tinted Missing You. Add to that Glaswegian Chris Geddes, one of the shining lights behind the insurmountable Belle and Sebastian, and Lee E John from' 80s soul sensations Imagination, who lends vocals to the record's poppy closer Back to the Source, and you have a truly stellar cast of musicians.