Cirkus

Nearly ten years after her previous solo album Man appeared in 1996, trip-hop pioneer Neneh Cherry experienced a creative resurgence through the electronic soul project cirKus. Its origins trace to her husband and longtime collaborator, producer Cameron "Booga Bear" McVey, who began laying down basic tracks in London with engineer and DJ Matt Kent, aka Karmil. The pair soon enlisted Kent’s girlfriend Lolita Moon for vocal parts, after which McVey persuaded Cherry to participate as well. While largely removed from the spotlight as the couple raised their children in Malmö, Sweden, Cherry nevertheless accepted a short European club tour in early 2005. Branding the effort cirKus, the quartet first circulated several demo recordings online before delivering their proper debut album, Laylow, on the independent Tent Music label in the fall of 2006.