Lord Echo Essentials

Arriving on the ‘10s producer scene with panache, New Zealander Mike Fabulous has made a name for himself by nimbly mixing funk, rocksteady, downtempo, and Afrobeat to joyous results as Lord Echo. His sound is epitomized on tracks like “Molten Lava,” where honeyed vocals from Leila Adu bump up against beats that draw from the golden age of house and Motown. “Digital Haircut” leans toward the cosmic-disco side of the equation with its spacious, futuristic rhythm, while “Just Do You” pairs Lord Echo's dusty house grooves with Mara TK's airy falsetto to impart the song's titular affirmation with style.