Exclusive Album Review: EL Capitan V-Man – “Gentleman Of The Jungle” LP

Rising Artist EL Capitan V-Man is a true example of hitting the ground running. His musical vision started at the age of fifteen, but wouldn’t come to fruition until about fifteen years later with his current debut record Gentleman Of The Jungle. A 10-track juggernaut of a record with a tasteful concoction of Dance, Pop and Urban influences all meshed into a diligently self-crafted and produced signature sound. The album, which dropped this year this past August, has already amassed almost a million streams and continues to spread like wildfire through the power of social media and industry word of mouth. EL Capitan took several years to finally make his album debut, but this record is proof that his coming-up will be much faster, and he’s determined to grab your undivided attention.

With that said, it’s no wonder this debut release has garnered the rapid-paced buzz. Utilizing a modern and multifaceted approach on classic Dance flavors you hear at some of the hottest clubs in much warmer climates, EL Capitan V-Man truly demonstrates his ability to produce an array of tracks that not only resonate with any fan of the genre, but can easily draw in new ones as well. His flavorful measures of bumping rhythms, atmospheric synths and featured vocal melodies deliver a versatile stylization that shares equal parts originality and familiarity; serving up a multilayered and unique presence that will undoubtedly keep any listener engaged as the night plays out at your favorite clubbing hotspot. The track “Juicy Jungle Nights” is direct evidence of this and really sets the tone for what takes place throughout the record’s duration. This upbeat, uptempo banger starts out with a grinding rhythm section that leads into a hypnotic female vocal melody and subsequent steel drums that give this song a Hawaiian-style flavor. One thing you’ll notice is EL Capitan’s ambient and atmospheric swells and transitions in between verses, choruses and breakdowns. His production choices of structured layers and rhythmic loops are not only well executed, but also deliver a cleverly multifaceted approach as well.

Another track that is worth noting is “Road To Success”, a song with melodic piano-based progressions with a finger-snapping rhythm and clean guitar leads. Leaning more towards a contemporary sound, this flavorful track shows another side of EL Capitan’s production value that explores a new edge to his versatile approach. The aura of emotions on every track is very apparent, and you’ll definitely notice his hypnotic elements in several layers of his instrumental structures. One more song worth touching on is closing track “Celebrate”, another upbeat finger-snapper that diligently combines several elements of the previous tracks on the record, wrapping the record up with a tightly knit craft and a pretty bright red ribbon that is nicely packaged.

For a debut record, this album exceeds all standards and expectations, and it’s no surprise that it has successfully amassed almost a million views so far. EL Capitan V-Man took awhile to get off the ground, but now that he finally has, he is quickly taking the industry by storm. You can read his entire story behind the album and his career on his official website below. You can also take a listen to Gentleman Of The Jungle on all available streaming platforms. We can’t recommend him highly enough.