Peak Futures

Peak Futures is a unique soul music collective brought together by writer-producer Chris Hills in London. The group recorded their debut record “Colours of the Sun” in early 2020; the opening shot - cathartic retro stomper Tapestry (feat. Joe Bernie) - is out in December.

As a sideman, co-writer and producer in New York City, Chris worked alongside artists such as St. Lenox and Motopony as well as collaborating closely with Pauli the PSM (drummer for FKA Twigs, Damon Albarn) on his Idea of Tomorrow EP, European shows and an appearance on Cosmo’s Midnight’s “What Comes Next”.

“My main job was helping artists realise their vision,” Chris says of the experiences he garnered in New York. “I learned a lot about ornamentation, fitting in and listening to what the songs were saying.”

The genesis of the album came together when Chris met keyboardist/ producer Sara De Santis (Kindness, Sundara Karma) and singer Joe Bernie on returning to London in late 2019. “I had a bunch of ideas that they just transformed into living, breathing songs as soon as we started working together. Once we got demos down I knew that bringing in Pauli on drums would add another dimension.”

Peak Futures - Bio Inspired by the sonic palettes of Isaac Hayes - both his early Stax staff arrangements as well as the epic solo era - Peak Futures’ sound doesn’t shy away from extended instrumentals or putting a non-vocal part at the fore.

“It’s not just about showcasing the great musicians I’m lucky enough to have on the album,” says Chris. “I also feel that sticking to a 3-minute pop single formula is so limiting, especially when it comes to creating an album that has an arc to it that holds together if you actually listen to the whole thing. Which is what I hope people do with Colours of the Sun.”

Tapestry “is a synopsis of the theme of whole album - which is mainly about gaining self-understanding through a journey to unfamiliar spaces, be they physical, mental or cultural. The “Tapestry” in the song is really the core of ourselves that we might not be aware of.. our habits, patterns.”

The wider album threads a path which criss-crosses from the stellar to the earthly and back, touching on both the richness and detail of the everyday as well as the cosmic scale of the universe, finishing with a refreshing reprise of the opening track.