When an electronic dance music producer and jazz guitarist get together, the first thing you'd expect is a fusion of furious dance rhythms and complex lightning-fast solos. But with producer Ilija Rudman and guitarist Joe Pandur you couldn't be more wrong. Even though their project is entitled Young Men Drive Fast, this collection brings relaxing yet far from anaemic numbers. In fact, they all showcase a stylistic subgenre the authors call "Cinematic Jazz Surf". At first glance any of the numbers of this musical adventure (such as the introductory "Jadranska Magistrala (Highway)" or the "Chillout Factor No. 5" and "Smooth Talk", which exchange electronic and guitar phrases in a flowing ambient dialogue could recklessly be labelled as lounge or instrumental easy listening were it not for that certain flesh and bone quality. True, the groove is lazy, and the Metheny or Di Meola-like guitar harmonies and solo phrases are soft and gentle, but every theme has a sturdy rhythmical skeleton that beckons the listener to take the road, especially the numbers "Augmented" and "Southbound". Even the choice of words "jazz" and "surf" in the subtitle is fully justified. The jazzy performance brings to life some of the masters of the 1970s fusion music and defines itself in terms of genre, while the fluid rhythmical background beckons movement and takes us surfing on the sound waves. Collaborations between exceptional musicians and instrumentalists seldom take the minimalist road of "less is more", but Young Men Drive Fast does exactly that, whether it is a slow theme with a strong guitar trail (such as "Last Call") or sturdy base (as in "B Natural") or some faster theme (relatively speaking). Their music reminds of minimalist impressionism; it is a kind of succinct musical recounting of a car drive across vivid landscapes. Music is not there to compete with the images but to travel along as a perfect accompaniment. Ilija Rudman : I Dedicate this Album to Mak and Moris – We Shine Forever The Young Men Drive Fast album was recorded in True Colours Music Studio, Zagreb, Croatia in 2019, its fuelled with passion and dedication to the classic recording and mixing methods of years gone by, utilising vintage outboard and the specific skills associated with that equipment. This album was recorded and mixed on MCI Mixer JH Series – Model 542 D The final recording was made on a Revox PR 99 Tape Machine Instruments used : Various live drums recorded, later sampled and redesigned. EMU EMax, EMU II, Yamaha SY 77, Kawai SX 240, Roland D 50, Roland JX 10, Prophet V, Oberheim DPX, Taylor 312 ce-N Grand Concert – Classic Guitar, Peerless Maestro Martin Taylor – Jazz Guitar, G & L Legacy Stratocaster Outboard used : EMT Limiter 257, EMT Limiter-Compressor 261, ADR Scamp Dynamics, Ursa Major – Stargate 323, Sony Reverberator DPS – R7