Multi-instrumentalists Martin Schenker and Lucius Schuler have teamed up as Melting Steine and enlisted the assistance of a handful of musical amigos to produce the album, Universal Crush. The 10 short pieces conjure a carefree air, and constitute a very cool set for shaking a few cocktails with close friends.

The tunes are all gentle and jazzy, composed on guitar and keys. The duo citing John Carroll Kirby, Floating Points and Bill Evans as influences. Nancy Meier adds flute to a trio of tracks. Paula Mia’s harmonies help give Inselmoment a beautiful bossa nova vibe. Roberto Hacaturyan’s congas turn the titular number into a sublime, summery samba. Brazil and swinging 1960s Parisian chanson seem to be major sources of inspiration.

This is modern “muzak”. Warm, intimate and analogue recorded. Rich with reverb. There are splashes of spacey effects and  and tape delay. Wings, for example, features delicately dancing dubwise details. Glide is graced by tropical steel pan tones. Endless is spritely strummed. Cassis feels like the flip-side to Unloved’s dark obsessions. The perfect score for Eve and Villanelle, if their doomed romance had actually worked out.

These jams are almost exclusively sweet soulful instrumentals. Soothing and mellow, with uplifting, optimistic melodies. Front Porch Days is the exception. A wonky, woozy, drum-machine driven ballad, sung by Jeremy Tanner, it’s still a sun-stroked float. Fans of Music From Memory’s Zenmenn and Growing Bin’s Matthieu Beck should definitely take a listen.

Melting Steine’s Universal Crush can be ordered directly from Phantom Island.