Based on his groundbreaking production credits alone, Neil Davidge’s legacy was already firmly set within the lofty pantheon of those sonic architects who helped shape, influence, and impact the direction of modern music.

His inventive production and songwriting work with Massive Attack over the past 15 years has brought him plenty of well-earned notoriety and acclaim, leading to high-profile work with David Bowie, Damon Albarn, Primal Scream, UNKLE, Elizabeth Fraser, Snoop Dogg, and others. Davidge has also crafted some indelible movie scores over the years (Danny the Dog, Battle in Seattle, and the Oscar-nominated Katrina documentary, Trouble the Water), and recently composed the soundtrack to Halo 4, bringing his distinctive sound to a new generation of fans who have yet to fall under the spell of Mezzanine.

But rather than rest on those renowned laurels, Davidge has just released his debut solo album, Slo Light, a beguiling collection of songs that he has been crafting, off-and-on, for the past four years. The record features Davidge’s intoxicating beats layered underneath a series of stellar but unheralded guest vocalists - Cate Le Bon, Stephonik Youth, Low Roar, Claire Tchaikowski, Emi Green, and more – who all add their rich, resonant voices to material that is as fresh and vital as any of the other distinguished projects Neil has been involved in as of late.

Slo Light unfolds majestically with the simmering title track that launches with an ominous beat reminiscent of Massive Attack’s “Angel,” before smoothing out into a swelling orchestral arrangement courtesy of the Bristol Ensemble. But the ultimate star of the lead-off track (as well as the pulsating “They Won’t Know” and the Nine Inch Nails-esque “Zero One Zero”) is Stephonik Youth – from the New York band Living Days, recent signees to Dave Sitek’s new record label, Federal Prism. Her elegant vocals elevate the opening number, giving the track a warm, celestial touch.

The hypnotic cadence of “Gallant Foxes” is augmented by Cate Le Bon’s icy cool vocals, which fluidly bounce from a synthetic, near-robotic delivery to a heavenly croon that exquisitely rises with the mesmerizing pace of the song itself. It’s a glorious number, and keeps the record’s beguiling momentum going. The production throughout Slo Light is immaculate and uncluttered, as you would expect from a Davidge project. As a result, more conventional material like “How Was Your Day” and “Home From Home,” which might sound tame and derivative in lesser hands, instead comes remarkably alive under Davidge’s expert guidance, taking on a clean, restlessly modern tone and tempo that is suitably complimented by the haunting vocals of Karima Francis and Low Roar.

The appropriately named “That Fever” forms the ethereal centerpiece of the record, with the diaphanous vocals of Clair Tchaikowski stylishly guiding the song towards the heavens. After that supernal excursion, the album takes on more of an urgency on the aforementioned “Zero One Zero” and “Riot Pictures,” a slow-burning number that contains plenty of stylistic elements of Massive Attack, which builds to an impassioned, elegiac release that Sandi Shaw completely owns, as her vocals soar gracefully over the tracks swelling beats.

The album again downshifts on the somber, hymn-like “Sleepwalking,” which features Emi Green’s evocative vocals over a melancholy, muted beat. Slo Light snaps quickly back to life on “Anyone Laughing,” which features a towering, insistent rhythm that gradually gives way to Tchaikowski’s vibrant vocals, which luxuriously leads the track home. The record ends with an expansive instrumental reworking of “That Fever” called “Discovering the Universe,” which brings things to a leisurely, stylish close. Neil Davidge takes full advantage of his big opportunity to finally show off his textured sonic mastery on a full-length that is entirely his own, and Slo Light only enhances his reputation as one of the greatest sound alchemists of his time.