Moustachioed cello virtuoso Lou Barby, aka Slow Cooked, makes his debut with the edgy and sinister ‘Mice In Jeans’. Our dear readers may recognise Lou as a frequent collaborator of London’s creme de la creme (Skydaddy and Heka to name a few) and although his chops are not to be trifled with, this release proves that he has many more strings to his bow. As an ominous bass line thumps along, strings squeak by and piano jitters. As the tension builds Barby sighs restlessly, he sings of lying awake as mice scratch around the corners of his mind. Described by Barby as “an anthem for the surreality of midnight anxieties" this is an undeniably intriguing release, and with it comes the announcement of upcoming EP ‘Plastic Values’ releasing April 12th. Written using only a cello, a loop pedal and a crisis of identity Plastic Values promises to be one of the year’s most original EP’s and must not be missed. -Adam Brown