For his debut full-length, Bristol-born producer Julio Bashmore has shrugged off the face-chewing “bangers” that now boom out of your nearest New Look and gone back to his boyhood influences, such as Daft Punk and Cassius. Holding On skewers squeaky-shiny disco samples with a skip’n’ shuffle beat and vocals so smooth you want to drink them in; Rhythm of Auld is as soulful as Strictly Rhythm’s output, but warped by Bashmore’s ear for quirk; She Ain’t and What’s Mine Is Mine nod to NYC ballroom house; and fans of Jessie Ware will appreciate breathy Balearic track Simple Love, its hi-hats crisper than a carrot baton. There’s a springy left turn on Umuntu, too, which updates early-90s garage-house with help from South African rapper Okmalumkoolkat. Beyond the history lessons, Knockin’ Boots underlines the simple joy of uplifting dance music – when you can’t remember the loo queues or mid-morning dive into the chicken shop, just the throb of the dancefloor and the corsucating melodies that get your hands in the air.
