ProStudioMasters.com

The Loop, Jordan Rakei's fifth album, marks his recent signing to Verve Forecast and Decca UK—a new career chapter that coincides with several profound changes in his personal life, including becoming a father for the first time. Recorded at RAK Studios, The Loop was self-produced by Rakei and mixed by Ben Baptie (Moses Sumney, Beck, U2). This is by far Rakei’s most cohesive work to date, following his acclaimed 2021 album What We Call Life, which demonstrated his natural curiosity in exploring new sounds. The Loop’s thirteen tracks features recently released single “Flowers,” a love song dedicated to Rakei’s wife. On the new album, Rakei steps away from the DIY sound he was once known for with bold orchestral arrangements and an Odyssean-style narrative that charts a course through times of darkness and hope. “I wanted to get back to why I fell in love with music in the first place. All the artists I grew up listening to—Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield, D’Angelo—I found myself listening to again without that analytical producer side. And I kept that same approach when I started writing new music. No judgement, but also a lot of ambition and desire to make these grand-sounding arrangements. I didn’t want this music to sound like it was made in a bedroom.” - Jordan Rakei