Larry Heard – Sceneries Not Songs, Volume 1

By 1994, the great Chicago house producer and DJ Larry Heard had been helping define the music for more than ten years. Part of the influential trio Fingers Inc. with Robert Owens and Ron Wilson and a legend in his own right as Mr. Fingers, Heard had evolved as a producer, moving toward tones that were smoother, more aerodynamic, and romantic. Sceneries Not Songs was his first album under his given name and explores slower tempos merging house with ambient and jazz. Heard’s keyboard skills are on full display here as he lays down hypnotic melody after melody alongside his unmistakable drum programming. As the title suggests, there are no anthemic call-to-dance vocals here, and the vibes actually lean more towards the post-club or lounge situations that might appeal to R&B lovers and listeners outside of the dance music spectrum.

Recommended – Full Listen