reviews archive

Artist - Zentex
Title - Saha
Label - (Bloop)
Released - 19.03.07 
Posted 25.02.07

Proper and futuristic minimal techno outings from Jari Marjamaki on this first vinyl release from Bloop. This new label was spawned from Loop:Recordings, 5 years in the making, it was worth the wait for these killer tracks. Both Saha and Saka have that proggy sound that the man like Sasha and Andy Weatherall pioneered so well, and now new comers like Ame, Joel Mull and Henrick Swartz are championing to mass appeal.    

Living in Turku, Finland, until the 90's, Jari now spends his days in Lisbon, Portugal. Working from the mid-nineties in an indie band, before starting up his career as DJ Yari, he has previously released music as Strip, 3 Wyze Men and Ballet Mecanico on Cologne based labels Traumschallplatten and Kickboxer (Boxer Recordings). Marjamaki also hosts a weekly show on Radio Oxigenio playing electronica, electro and techno. Finally as one of the founders of Pulsar, a Lisbon based collective and club organisation that has been responsible for some of Portugal's most vibrating electronic music events during recent years, its safe to say we have not heard that last of this cutting edge producer.  

Saha is a throbbing 4/4 cut with a soulful vibe that oozes depth from the speakers and sounds great on a loud PA. A bit of a builder, this sneaks up on you then smacks you round the head with the electronic funk when you least expect it.  

Saka is slightly more upbeat foot worker, full of all those dark liquid basslines and eerie synth sounds we love. Like all good music, this gets better and better with each play and is very capable of putting even the most revved up clubber in a trance. Think 'Age of love' after a chill pill and your on the right path.  

The Cosmic Sandwich remix hits the Smokebelch button, taking us that one step further towards dancefloor carnage with this deeply spaced out but progressive hip shaker. This oozes the funk and twins that old skool sound with new production techniques, to create a groove that screams 'tweak me'. DJ's wont be able to leave the bass pot alone on this minimal techno gem.  

As the dividing lines grow ever more blurred, I can see this appealing to deep house girlies and techno heads as well the old proggy boys and new electro house loonies.

Rating - 9/10
Reviewer - PT

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Artist - Magik Johnson
Title - I Give Up
Label - (Underwater)
Released - 26.02.07 
Posted 25.02.07

If you have been into house for years, you may well know this hotly tipped producer as 'Dick Johnson'. Busting bold musical moves from Blackpool to Auckland New Zealand has made Johnson a house music heavyweight in both hemispheres.  His reputation for rocking a party began amidst the acid house madness of Manchester's infamous Hacienda, where he was Saturday night resident alongside Graeme Park and Tom Wainright. After the Hacienda closed its doors a residency at Nottingham's Renaissance followed. 1994 and 95 saw him drop tunes for Creams Olympic label, New Orders Pleasure Recordings and Manchester's Paper Recordings collective. Shortly afterwards, he established Shaboom Records in Blackpool, with Mark Bell and Ben Davis, and released records by Joeski & Onionz, Fred Everything, Doc Martin and DJ Sneak to name a few. 

Now NZ's best loved artist and DJ, Magik Johnson, hooks up with upcoming vocalist James Dansey on this large 2nd Underwater release which comes hot on the heels of the 2006 smash 'Malone/Jump', a Majik J collaboration with label boss Darren Emerson.  

Magik's 07 mix of the original is going to be big with the tech house heads. A chunky 4/4 floor worker with a smooth acid bassline. You can almost hear the crowd cheers at the breakdown. This has that euphoric feel that dips and climbs in all the right places to cause havoc and have hands in the air in any decent house or techno club. John Dahlback's remix is full of quirky keyboards that I don't really like. But if dirty twisted house that sounds a little bit drunk is your bag then you might want to check this out. Muted darkside for the dirtier floors...  

Otherwise head for the original mix, which is a high quality funky house number. Somewhere between that 80's electro sound, New Order and the Happy Monday's, it could almost be Shaun Ryder on vocals! One for the girlies that like to shake their skirts, this will be hording them onto the club floor. The DeepGroove mix is darker and more sinister - its all about the bassline and mad piano sound here. One for the deeper more glitchy house lovers that want to get their groove on. Only available via Beatport and Djdowload...download this now!

Rating - 9/10
Reviewer - PT

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Artist - RJD2
Title - You never had it so good / Get It
Label - (XL Recordings)
Released - 05.03.07 
Posted 19.02.07

Taken from forthcoming LP 'The Third Hand' comes one vocal track and three instrumentals.  'You never had it so good' is going to be popular with the new breed of music lovers that are into both bands and hip hop beats. People like Zane Lowe are going to hammer it. I on the other hand am not sure - it's OK but not as good as his earlier stuff and is that bit more poppy. 'Just when' is a bit shiny too. Thankfully 'Get it' does have some stones and is a good funky beats track, so that is the one I am opting for (and rating), and it has been growing on me with each play. On the whole not biz by any stretch but I expected more hip hop and less pop (more like 'Get It').

Rating - 9/10
Reviewer - PT

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Artist - Chuck Love Feat Fourfeet
Title - Beautiful thang
Label - (Om)
Released - 29.02.07 
Posted 19.02.07

Om records return with another fine release that fans of Naked Music to Kaidi Tatham records need to check.

Trevor Lovelys Tenderloin Tug & Rub remix
Trevor Lovelys drops a banger that will work a treat on any big breaks, electro house loving dancefloor. Phasers ready set to stun! The kind of thing you should only bring out at peaktime if you have a house full of nutters.

Bryan Jones remix
A warmer more soulful house number that ticks all the right boxes and sounds like a classic house cut from the likes of Prescription records. Cool cut up jazz piano feel breakdown, we like.

Original mix
Opts for a kinda sub bass boogie feel. This is the kind of twisted deep soulful house that I love. This kind of thing always goes down well with the girlies, and girls on the floor means the boys quickly follow. Groovy.

Sven Van Hees Art-Broken remix
I love my beats that bit more broken, so the beat on Sven Van Hees was always going to tickle our taste buds.  Quality deep soulful vibe with a lovely laidback sax, warm keys and great drums – one for the Atjazz lovers! (We like this mix a lot)

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Artist - Aquasky and The Ragga Twins
Title - Ready For This
Label - (Passenger)
Released - 05.02.07 
Posted 18.12.06

A bit more 'breakbeat' than we are used to on these pages but it's worth a look for the Ragga Twins track alone.

The Ragga Twins have been around as long as I can remember, here they show they still come correct. A rude and dirty B boy stylin bassline rides under the stuttering rhythms, dope rhymes and almost broken beat.  Interesting because it's funky and is not clichéd sounding. One for fans of Daz I Kue and Afronaught to check.

On the flip, Aquasky and the Drumattic Twins is the big beat fest you would expect. Tired and tested sounds that having been working dancefloors in various guises since the days of The Soul Sonic Force. Big bassline action, funky riffs and tight breaks. This is always going to work on a peaktime breakbeat dancefloor but will not please the more adventurous.

Rating - 8/10
Reviewer - PT

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Artist - Up Hygh
Title - Venus LP
Label - (Jugglin / Zebra Traffic)
Released - Import CD out now 
Posted 30.10.06

The Jugglin import CD of the Venus LP has been knocking around for a while. The good news is that Zebra Traffic have signed a licensing deal to release this superb album in the UK sometime in November 06!

Put together by Stockholm's Pure Purpose & Rick Skizzo and featuring vocals from Planet Asia, Melo, Little Brother, Leafnuts, ADL, Eska, Aaron Phiri and Stefan Segolsson. This is quite possibly the hip hop soul LP of the year. Up there with the likes of Sa Ra, Simbad, NSM, Hearin Aid etc....This comes highly recommended! 

Check Up Hygh's MySpace for more info.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Artist - Bugz In The Attic
Title - Don't stop the music
Label - Nurture / V2
Released - ??.10.06
Posted 30.09.06

A great remix package spread over two 12"s, that will be loved by Bugz fans whilst taking them to a wider audience. There is also an exclusive download only mix from Spacek.

Album edit
The original is one of my favourite tracks off the Back in the Doghouse LP. Dirty floor shaking basslines, top vocals and sharp beats, you can hear Daz-I-Kue's input here. This is as explosive as broken beat gets.

IG Cultures Co-op Refit
IG strips it down to create a bouncy but more laid back dub vibe. Slick and smooth oddball brilliance as usual, this will appeal to those loving MJ Cole, Domu and Seji's bad bwoy 2 steppy rhythms.

NSM Re-work
NSM rework is the bomb remix wise. One of IG's best to date, this is sick. Up there with the likes of Simbad, Sa Ra and Up Hygh, twisted hip hop soul gets no better than this. Killer bassline, neck snapping beats and wicked vocal re-arrangement. The type of thing you go back to a few years later and it still sounds fresh. Future classic!

Switch mix
Switch's mix will keep the 4/4 breaks lovers happy. Dark and twisted mashup of techno bleeps, chunky beats and growling basslines, with a drop that will take most peoples breath away.

Unabombers Vs Elektrons E Souls mix
Manchester's finest duo drop an analogue bass led 4/4 chugger that is not dissimilar to recent Carl Craig, Ame and Sonar Kollectiv output. This builds and builds, uses the vocal well and oozes soul. The kind of twisted techy house music we love.

Elektrons Re-edit
The Elektrons up the boogie and add their trademark chunky beats, whilst staying true to the original. A bit lighter, this very useful re-edit is great to play next to the original, and it fits snuggly in with the chunkier house. A proper floor worker from the Northern Quarter.

KV5 mix
Kv5 round things off with a mellow hip hop soul take. Probably the best thing they have done to date. The vocals again sound great over the light and laid back track. Great for your lounge and early on in bars and backrooms.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Original mix
A pleasant downbeater that will please on the leftfield chill side. This washes over you with slo mo head nod beats and doesn't offend but really stand out.

The Thievery Corporation mix
This is the mix I prefer. Apart from the Quantic track, it's ages since I have heard a good drum and bass record. Plenty of soul but with enough oomph to kick it on the floor. This will appeal to fans of the LTJ Bukem end and makes a refreshing change.

Bautista
Bautista up the pace but stay true to the original, whilst adding eastern percussion and dubby basslines.

Stuhr mix
My 2nd favourite on offer, just because I like the oddball bassline. A bit like Beth Orton produced by Daedelus. One of the more interesting leftfield cuts around.

Rating - 8/10
Reviewer - PT

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Artist - Madlib
Title - Take it back
Label - Stones Throw
Released - ??.09.06
Posted 30.09.06

The ever consistent Stones Throw return with Peanut Butter Wolf's presents Chrome Children, his finest hour to date. (Check the exclusive Tour Poster, above). All three tracks reviewed here were produced by J Dilla. A true hip hop legend, it is a travesty that such a talented producer was taken from this world so young. Many have tried to copy him, few will ever succeed. Jaydee's music oozes soul and his beats drip with funk... 

Madlib - Take it back
Pure Jaydee genius, this is as funky as they come. Like a bee in a bassbin, this buzzing tune will have your head nodding in an instant. Madlib's lyrics are great and the sirens will guarantee the desired effect on the floor. Hip hop gets no phatter than this killer cut.    

Guilty Simpson - Clap your hands
'Clap' takes us down a darker / heavier road but the whiplash effect is just the same. Quality rhymes and delivery from GS. Nice to also have the instrumental of this one.

J Dilla - Nothing like this
'Nothing' is all about the beats, with a vocal smattering from Mr Yancey that gives it the hook. Very futuristic and haunted in style. Like the Love Movement, this will be sounding fresh for years.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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The 2nd release on this up and coming new label. Again, this will appeal to those feeling the fusion of old jazz, funk, soul and boogie put together with new production skills...

Searching
Hot on the heels of their wicked 'Put it out' 12", comes this killer slice of broken boogie. Ace mash up of old and new. Simply superb!! Up there with the likes of Domu, BITA, NSM and Jazzanova. This will be lapped up by the Goya / Worldwide heads and it has itch written all over it. Produced to perfection with ace vocals that ooze soul. This is a future classic that will sound fresh for years!  

Searching (Dirty Dogsax remix)
The 4/4 sided Dirty Dogsax is a little more twisted. This will be well received by the housier crew, who like to keep it new and interesting.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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A fusion of old and new taken from the forthcoming LP 'Zeros and Ones'...

Electro Boogie
The name of this is perfect and it fits snuggly between classic boogie, house, broken and breaks. Appealing to everyone from the electro house boys to the Worldwide cats. This is fresh and exciting with instant appeal for the dancefloor. Really well produced, this has itch written all over it. 

Swing til it hurts
Another killer track, this time more in a broken nu jazz vein. Great horns, ace bass, tight drums and cool keys, I love everything about this. Definitely one for the Goya and Peterson crew, I can see this taking the roof off at Co-Op too. This is the sort of thing you will keep going back to for years and it will always sound fresh. Miles Davis for 2006!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Original mix
A fresh and lovely blend of Mediterranean vibed accoustic guitars, rapped / spoken word, soft accompanying vocals, funky drums, warm basslines and tight percussion. This is perfect for the summer months. The almost Brazillian feel makes us want to sway.

Ashley Beedle remix
Ashley Beedle adds his own keys, bass and beats to stretch it out into a soulful builder that is right for a club floor. One for the nu jazz and broken beat lovers.

Crazy P remix
Crazy P make the most of the bassline and go down the deep Manc house route, and a cracking take it is. Reminscent of the Unabombers style, one for soulful house floors and a must for Phil Asher fans.

Yes King remix
Mark Rae's new Yes King outfit will have you nodding your head and stepping your feet. He gets the funky downbeat vibe just right. This climbs and drops in all the right places. Back with the soul influence that he does the best.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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All of the remixes are superbly produced and are worth checking but it's the original and the Lazybatusu remix that are really killing me.

Original mix
A great song with superb vocals and Drew Horley's (TY's producer) backing is hot as ever. An RnB / soul gem that comes out kicking like a Motown classic. This sounds ace on a loud PA. Very popular with the ladies, this has instant floor appeal. Given the right support this has big cross over potential.

MJ Cole remix
MJ Cole's mix rubs away the glam and takes it down a deeper more bass and beats soulful house led route. Beaty enough for clubs but mellow enough for bars. One his best remixes in a long time.

DC Joseph remix
DC Joseph's mix has all the modern soul and RnB heads nodding and has that warm up vibe.

Lazybatusu remix
A beautiful broken beat affair that oozes soul and jazz vibes. I love the new instrumentation and sharp drum programming. Big with the Worldwide heads that check for Kaidi Tatham etc.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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All 3 versions are worthy of your attention...

Original mix
Letting the superb song shine on this beautiful piece of music. The kind of easy listening acoustic gem that appeals to people of all ages.

Daz I Kue remix
One of my favourite producers and he has outdone himself this time. A massive broken beat anthem that has floor filler written all over it. This makes the hair on the back of neck stand up and appeals to everyone from the soulful house crowd, through breaks to broken beat lovers. Easily the best remix so far in 2006. The kind of thing you will be going back to for years. Future classic!

Wookie remix
Wookie dives deep, keeps it soulful and adds his trademark crisp beats, that lie somewhere between 2 step and broken. This is lovely to chill both early and late.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Both of these tracks have a place on these pages but it's Enuff that's blowing our heads off.

Enuff
Q Tip is my all time favourite rapper, Lateef is always cool and DJ Shadow is one of my favourite producers so this was always going to be big with me. The tight rhymes and flow over DJ Shadow's superb track works a treat. This has Itch written all over it. A hip hop anthem that fills the floor and will cross over with ease. One of the biggest dancefloor tunes of 2006. The instrumental is very useful too. It gets no better than this. Future classic!

3 Freaks
Featuring heavy electrofied beats and dirty basslines that twist and turn around vocals. This appeals to the Beans et al loving hip hop heads and should also go down well with the breakbeat lovers and the darker more electronic crew.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Not what you would usually find reviewed here, but this excites me a lot. It has that Balearic vibe that many producers seldom capture correctly. A hypnotic riff with some lovely key changes, fresh steppy drums and strings that make you want to put your hands in the air. The track works brilliantly with the vocal and it gives me goose pimples every time. As powerful as Sebastian Tellier's La Ritournelle but more accessible to a club dancefloor. This is what Hybrid should have sounded like. The sort of tune you want to hear in Ibiza when the sun sets. I expect this will appeal to a diverse range of clubbers and jocks. Atlantic Conveyer gives breakbeat the kick up the arse it has needed for years. THE breaks anthem of 2006. Up there with the likes of 808 State's Pacific State and Massive Attack's Unfinished Symphony, this is a future classic. Massive!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Limited editon single lifted from this years In a Space Outta Sound album...

Troubleman remix
An 06 nod to Fela on this wicked Afro flavoured brokenness. Authentic vocals and great production with a lovley outro.

JD73 remix
Dropping a dirty ass bassline (think Aalyiah's Try Again) before dropping into key soaked beauty. Like Umod, this fuses hip hop, techno and broken vibes. Like all the best music this will grow on you with each play.

Original mix
A minimal percussive groove that is a bit like Afronaught.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Recorded in Jamaica with Sly & Robbie comes this reggae pop take on Gregory Isaacs. The original is not bad but it's the remixes that turn our heads.

Femi Fem remix
A twisted chopped up leftfield outing. Think Spacek and Prefuse 73.

Sly & Robbie remix
Top production on this laidback but heavy headnodding dub fest. Great for the summer months.

Seiji remix
Wicked and ruff bad bwoy bassline and sharp beats, this will keep the broken lovers happy.

Rating - 9/10
Reviewer - PT

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First single to be taken from the Game Theory album. This slamming cut is one of the best hip hop singles so far in 2006. My jawdropped when I first heard this. Great rhymes from Black Thought and Maimouna Youssef delivers the hook. Another killer track from the worlds best hip hop band. Massive!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Back like that
Decent lyrics on this neo soul / hip hop beauty. The track is lovely and uses elements of Willie Hutch's Baby Come Home, making the instrumental of interest.

Back like that (Kanye West remix)
Kanye's remix makes a good track brilliant, but then again he is ace! His rhymes suit the track perfectly, plus a new verse from GFK takes the tale one step further.

Rating - 9/10
Reviewer - PT

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This heavy and funked up RnB flavoured headnodder is the new single taken from forthcoming LP 'Kelis was here'. Oddball but instantly infectious to the masses like some Outcast output. This didnt grab me instantly but the track creeps up on you then hits you round the head when you least expect it. Play it loud and check the instrumental too.

Rating - 7/10
Reviewer - PT

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Great lyrics and delivery from the ever brilliant Oh No. The original backing track is a phat dub infested headnodder that should carry the warning 'Not liable for whiplash'. The Back Up Ruff mix flips the beat, adding a nice break that Quest Love would be proud of. Der Pflug lays back with a deep chiller vibe.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Will Holland's 8th long player can be summed up by one word. Genius! Well varied, this covers all the bases that we love. One of those LP's that you will keep going back to for a very long time. What has to be the LP of the year to date and it's going to take something very special to top it...Massive!

Absence heard, presence felt
A beautiful and blissed out beginning. I like the slightly disjointed way he has cut up the samples on this. A lovely chiller, great for the bars and backrooms and the perfect sound track for early mornings.

An announcement to answer
Well placed little builder, this makes perfect sense and sets us up for what's to come. Getting the balance of programmed beats and live instrumentation spot on, this sits somewhere between Will's live projects and his earlier solo work like Life in the rain.

Blow your horn feat Ohmega Watts
"Kicking boot down from Brooklyn to Brighton", this is my kind of hip hop and features superb lyrics and delivery. The verse "Quantic, one of the few to bridge gaps, between afrobeat hip hop with goods to match. Sounds from the far east to a rhythmic break, this will chart high in the ranks for mix tapes, by DJ Spinna till they melt the wax, and heavy rotation bringing the soul back" sums this tune up perfectly. The Eastern vibe is fresh and his funk infested beats, breaks and basslines, back the vocals brilliantly. This should appeal to everyone from hip hop heads to the funk crew. A dancefloor floor filler that is soulful enough for bars and backrooms too.

Bomb in a trumpet factory
I heard this on Gilles' show a few weeks ago. I was blown away, fell in love with it, then found out it was by the man. I'm like 'yeah, that makes sense, only Quantic crafts phat and fierce dancefloor killers like that.' This sounds ace on a loud sound system and is the kind of heavy breaks and basslines that will always go down a storm at itch.

Politick Society feat Noelle Scaggs
Latin overload, trying not to dance to this is like trying to put a fruit pastille in your mouth without chewing it. Lovely warm bassline that, when twinned with Noelle's fantastic vocals, makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. A great drum arrangement that is as heavy as they come and the instrumentation oozes Latin soul. A sure fire floor filler.

Meet me at the pomegranate tree
As versatile as ever, this gorgeous drum and bass number gives us chance to get our breath back. This is just right for summer nights when you want to take it easy but still keep it upbeat. Almost effortless, just a little dabble is all it takes to create a tasty little number that sits at the top of this style pile.

Sabor feat Tempo
Soulful broken Latin house that is reminiscent of The Candela Allstars output. The superb horns give it that live feel and the vocals add authenticity. This will have the Worldwide heads craning their necks to check the source and will appeal to every one from jazzy house lovers to old school funk, jazz and soul collectors.

Ticket to know where feat Ohmega Watts
Another superb hip hopper from the Ubiquity giants. With MC skills up there with J-Live, MF Doom and Mos Def you cannot go wrong with this tune. A traditional funk backing full to the brim with an infectious live horn section, tight breaks, warm bass and a cool wah wah. This brings the best of both styles and, like 'Blow', is one of the best rap tracks I have heard in ages. A sure fire party rocker that will never fail in getting you on your feet.

Tell it like you mean it
A dancefloor bomb that packs in more action into 5 minutes than a viagra fueled porn star group sex session. Overflowing with funk, bouncy beats that are not quite broken, a warm bass, soulful strings and a lovely little horn hook holds it all together. But don't let this lure you into a false sense of security, half way through the bassline morphs into a rude old skool sound that will really kick it off on the floor. This will bring new fans to the Quantic camp and should also help get more die hard funk veterans into the funk of the future. Filthy and twisted, bring on the cowbell!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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French soul boy aka Marathon Men / Mowgly drops the biggest track of the year to date.

Soul Fever
The buzz on this is absolutely massive and rightly so. A superb produced steppy soul killer that has your hair standing on end as soon as those brilliant glitchy keys drop. Up there with if not higher than Platinum Pied Pipers, this is what Sa-Ra should sound like! Fantastic lyrics with a lovely delivery and the track is out of this world. The instrumental is very strong on its own. The kind of infectious gem that has you singing it for hours after you last heard it. Genius!

Soul Fever (Remix)
The remix goes all Marathon Men on us. High quality deep broken house music, twisted and tweaked in the right way and the bassline is wicked. Fans of Sonar Kollectiv & co’s output ned to check but this should also appealing to the garage heads. A proper dancefloor worker that oozes the old school house vibe we love whilst looking to the future.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Danilo Plessow (from Inverse Cinematics) delivers the broken beat that is up there with the best.

Guerillero
This reminds me of Domu in ruff bad bwoy mode. Ace beats, killer bassline that oozes the funk, a kick ass breakdown, lovely keys and a horn that brings the earthy funk vibe. Bomb!

Lo Bailo
Again think Domu but with a little bit of Afronaught thrown in the mix. An essential builder with wicked latin percussion, soulful keys, afro horns, chants and a very phat low end. This grows with each play.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Six tracks from the new LP that sit somewhere between Amp Fiddler, Plantilfe and Raphael Saadiq. Great lyrics with excellent delivery over funk and soul soaked grooves. All tracks are worth checking but its A2, B1, B2 that excite me.

If I take you home (upon) (A1)
Probably the slickest track on offer with an 80’s twinge on the chorus.

Hot stage lights (A2)
A tight, funky and authentic gem that will get the wall flowers moving in the club and sounds cool in the bars and backrooms.

Being a girl (A3)
This smooth and laidback cut has a beautiful backing whilst being firm in the bass department and has some deep lines too. One for the bar and backrooms when you want it chilled.

Suspicion (she know me too well) (B1)
Raw and funky head nodder come hip shaker that you cant help but move to. This oozes soul from every groove and has instant appeal. My favourite track on offer for the club.

Character (B2)
I love the backing on this. And the vocals are great too. The strings make the hair stand up on the back of my neck and the bassline is ace. Fans of Saadiq’s Instant Vintage LP need to check this timeless gem. This grows on me with every play and is my all round favourite. Essential.

Hole in my heart (B3)
An easy listening swing makes this stand out. The kind of track that will appeal to some of the older soul heads. This has that summer vibe and is good to play when you fancy something a bit different and girly.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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From My Space to that indie pop show on channel 4 - the buzz about this young London lass is massive.

Smile
Addictive music that appeals to all and is so much more than Pop. This is the first song Lilly wrote. A tale about getting pleasure from an ex's pain. Manchesters Future Cut have produced a cool reggae and funk influenced sound that goes back to her roots. This is the kind of infectious gem that gets stuck in your head for days after you last heard it, so cross over success is inevitable. This lady is set for big things. Check the LP Alright, Still released 17.06.06

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Four of the best tracks from his superb LP, backed with a huge Gerardo Frisina remix. Essential...

A little something
One of his best to date and one of my favourite and most played tracks off the LP. Laura’s vocals are spine tingling material and it’s her performance that really makes this for me. This fits in with the latin house vibe perfectly but the keys still remind me of Gypsy Women!

900 degrees
Afro flavoured house pumper that Osunlade would be proud of. Peak time material that will have them really going for it on the floor. This drops and climbs in all the right places and I love the horns. This jolly little number puts smiles on faces and sounds great in the mix.

Pathos
Hip hop paced funked up down beats that will sound great in the bars and backrooms and are spot on for club warm up. I love the deep jazzy vibe, this oozes soul and makes great head music to lounge to.

A little something (Gerardo Frisina mix)
Yes! This is outstandingly special. This has us all in a sweat and will drive the floor wild with ease. Laura’s vocals sound top as usual and GF’s nu latin jazz house production is killing us. Superb live horns and authentic piano held together by great percussion. Quite simply murder on the dancefloor. One of the best TT remixes to date. Massive! Future classic!!

Styles rise
Faultless, like Bugs In The Attic, Seiji and Domu at their very best. Deep and soulful vibe with wicked drums and an awesome low end bassline. Another stand out from the LP that still blows my head now. An essential track for all that like their beats broken.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Amp Fiddler returns with two more killer vocal cuts. The Afro Strut LP is released 28.08.06.

Faith
Written in LA with Raphael Saddiq, I expected greatness and am pleased to say I was not disappointed. A wicked soul track that oozes the funk from every groove. This is perfect for the bars and backrooms and also makes a great club warm up track. Amp Fiddler is at the top of his game and this killer track appeals to all soul lovers regardless of their preferred style or era.

Right where you are
With Justin Unabomber at the controls, this was always going to be up my street. This builds and drops in all the right places and makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. The soulful house vibe guarantees dancefloor domination in any decent club and the track is laidback enough for the bars and backrooms. This has Electric Chair and itch written all over it!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Rob Luis and Bonobo don their Nirobi diguise and give up a few dubplates...

Cee Lo - Grown Roads
Phat and funky beats that work well with Cee-Lo’s soulful vocal. This has a hook that is recognised by most and as such will always work well on any beats and breaks orientated club floors.

Mary Mary - Heaven on the ear
Dark murky bass and sharp beats slip snuggly under the soulful vocal. This works well with the RnB posse and the heavier beats ensure this will fit into any decent hip hop and beats dj’s set.

Jaydee v BEP - Where is the red
Upside - My all time favourite Jaylib cut does work well with the rap. This serves as a good get out of jail tune that will refresh any flagging dancefloor. Downside - The scratching isn’t brilliant and I am not sure the chorus is in the right key.

Quantic & Alice Russell V Talking Heads - Lifetime search
This is the bomb and it will set the floor on fire without fail! One of the best known basslines of all time mashed up with a great Alice Russell vocal. Simple but effective, this works a treat. A dancefloor anthem I will never tire of.

Whitney Houston - Déjà vu is fine
One of the dirtiest hip hop beats ever. I have been looking for the D.A. original of this for years, and still cant find it! Whitney’s vocal fits quite nicely and work well. This appeals to both the hip hop heads and the more souly RnB diva lovers.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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As we wait for the soon come Bug-funk LP, BITA members Paul ‘Seiji’ Dolby, Alex Phountzi, Kaidi Tatham, Cliff Scott, Daz I Kue and Orin ‘Afronaught’ Walters hustle through with another killer single…

Move Aside
This is the kind of thing we love! A superb sound clash that should get long term fans of Bugz in the attic and Bembe Segue very excited. Super funky, brilliantly produced with ace drums and a red hot vocal from Bembe. Reminiscent of Amerie’s - One thing, this is bound to be massive and if there is any justice it will cross over. Everyone from ‘breakbeat’ lovers to the hip hop heads are going to be getting down to this for some serious dancefloor action. The West London massive take one more step closer to Global domination!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Head straight for the Daz I Kue remix for some broken percussion heavy ragga featuring Junior Ruff. Ace beats and a rude bwoy bassline make this worth checking. This does take a few plays to get into…

Rating - 9/10
Reviewer - PT

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Mutli instrumentalist and versatile producer delivers a stunning all rounder. This is as equally suited to the car and at home as it is in the bars, backrooms and clubs. This grows on you with each and every play. Essential!

Thira
Soaring strings, warm basslines, lovely vocals and piano lines wrap around tight percussion on this dramatic opener.

Aquarian Moon
Title track gets the groove on with a funky ass bassline and his trademark house stylings. This will work a treat on the floor and will have them up and dancing instantly, whilst being deep enough for bars and backrooms.

The day before we met for coffee
Lovely fusion of African guitar, light percussion, funky basslines & beautifully dramatic strings that make your hair stand on end.

Flow
I love the pulsing acid bassline. This fits in snuggly with the deeper house and broken beat stuff and works brilliantly in the mix

TwoPhish
Classic afro jazz funk that will move any floor instantly with ease. This appeals to everyone from the future funk lovers to the old jazz heads.

Fingerblood
Gentle jazz with a stunning bassline, delicate keys and haunting strings. Very moody and atmospheric piece, this is deep.

Circles
Blissed out lounge jazz vibe percussive builder. Great strings, piano keys and bassline. Very useful in the mix.

Oia in Winter
Phat and funky horn filled breaks that you have to nod your head to. This works without fail and fits in perfectly with hip hop and beats. This keeps the deepness whilst oozing soul.

SokinSikartep
Carl Craig-esque analogue deep house groove that builds up nicely and will work the floor well. Ace snare & hat action with a low slung bottom end that sounds great on a loud PA.

Casablanca soul
Beautiful saxophone on this ace deep house gem. This will have them up and dancing straight away and the light mood is perfect for the warm summer nights. Very Electric Chair.

Music for the gods
A bit more leftfield and kitsch than his normal output, this takes time to grow. Well arranged, this builds up nicely with funky horns.

Inspiration
A soul drenched downbeater that melts the heart. Ace to sooth your mind and unwind to on lazy days and late late nights.

Hidden track
Trademark percussion and gorgeous keys melt together on this short but sweet floor working deep house killer.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Diesler makes the finding, sampling and loopling of ‘cut up’ based music look simple whatever style he turns his hand to. Here we get two of my favourite and most played tracks off the 'Keepie Uppies' LP on his first TT 7”.

Day of the jackal
I love the mad flamenco vibe on this and the powerful horns do me in everytime. This wakes the latin spirit in everyone. A fast paced, peak time, 3 minute dancefloor workout to get you in a sweat. Buy two copies and play them back to back because three minutes of this killer is sometimes just not enough. Massive!

Puppy fat
The type of track that goes down brilliantly with everyone from the younger funky beat and hip hop heads to the older soul crowd. This is dripping with party funk and is the right tempo to get you dancing as you walk into any club or bar. Instant appeal with all and particularly big with fans of Quantic and Mr Scruff.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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A little bit more - Luke Vibert remix
This blew me away the first time I heard it and still does many plays later. It’s the old school bassline that does it and it works perfectly with the vocal. Classic old Warp sound with sharp and futuristic production skills. This is so funky it’s rude. Possibly the best remix of the year so far for me. Massive!

The City - Four Tet remix
Dark and funky with that old Super Collider sound lurking in the shadows whilst taking a tuffer techno approach. File between techy broken stuff and glitchy house.

When I come back around - Freeform Reform remix
Staying true to the original whilst taking it down a twisted 4/4 tech house path. This Superb remix should be lapped up by all.

A little bit more - Herbert 'A little bit less remix'
Using his quirky brilliance to cook up a track that’s deeper than the original. A bubbling phat bassline and well crafted beats get mixed up with the vocals, keys and a bucket loud of odd sounds. He arranges all these in such a way that the track builds and drops in all the right places. Great for bars, backrooms and headphones.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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2 great tracks from the genius that is Matthew Herbert.

The movers and the shakers
Somewhere between his Big Band project and his recent work with Roisin Murphy, this is very special. His jazz filled arrangement around the vocal is fantastic. Very powerful oddball lunacy that will sound fresh for years. The insutrumental is strong too.

Harmonise
More of a gentle and mellow deep house based track that melts into the vocal. Lovely background music.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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An outstanding double header from the ever prolific Will Holland, with a little help from Mr Scruff on the flip. Essential!!

Tell it like you mean
The first single to be taken from Quantic's fourth solo album, 'An announcement to answer'. Just when you start to wonder where he can go next, he drops a dancefloor bomb that packs in more action into 5 minutes than a viagra fueled porn star group sex session. It's deeper and darker than his previous output but its still packed to the brim with the funk. Bouncy beats that are not quite broken, a warm bass, soulful strings and a lovely little horn hook holds it all together. But don't let this lure you into a false sense of security, half way through the bassline morphs into a rude old skool sound that will really kick it off on the floor. This will bring new fans to the Quantic camp and should also help get more die hard funk veterans into the funk of the future. Tremendous!

Giraffe Walk
When the two of the biggest beats producers get together you know they are going to deliver something special. A funked up party breaks and beats floor filling epic that has itch written all over it. Only previously available on the 'One offs, remixes and B sides' CD. It's great to finally have this pressed loud and proud on a 12". Mass appeal with all funk, beats and hip hop heads!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Putting us on nicely whilst we wait for new Carl Craig originals.

Relevee (Carl Craig remix)
Does what it says on the tin, and as usual blows your head off with the first spoonful. In a very similar vein to his Terry Brookes and Aaron Soul remix for Rush Hour. An epic electronic workout that makes your jaw drop as the analog synth sounds shake the floor.A jazzy piano based breakdown puts the finishing touches on yet another work of genius! Future classic.

Relevee (Baby Ford remix)
Proper minimal outing and stripped down outing. The rumbling bassline and clicky beats make this one for the deeper techno and tech house heads. Highly rated deepness that makes a fine alternative to the superb Carl Craig remix.

Relevee (DFA remix)
An uppy 80’s tinged disco remix withreat percussion and a lovely piano line. This is easily the best DFA track that I have heard to date and is very much the sound of now. A pleasant suprise.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Oooof, we like this alot!

The way we like it (Original)
The kind of tune that lifts a crowd within the first two bars. An ace fusion of Latin keys, hip hop, broken beat, jazz and soul. Highly infectious!

The way we like it (Lazy Batusu)
Staying true to the original whilst taking it more upbeat and 4/4 styled.

Does it feel good
One for the Dwele lovers and old jazz soul heads. Smooth.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Genius!

Stand up jam rock (Ashley Beedle remix)
A brilliant fusion of classics by father and son. An ace twist on the original tracks with a modern day reggae sound.

Slogans (Sunship dub remix)
Nowhere near as good as the Beedle remix. But the bouncey garage feel of the dub fits in equally with jacking acid house and techno.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Very collectible 10" with a cracking track on each side. Essential.

Hope
Ace deeply funky house track that builds and climbs in all the right places and we get some of Amp's superb key playing towards the end. One of his best tracks to date. 

Dope
In his slick hip hop style, this oozes the sound of Detroit.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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All round perfect three tracker from the Unabombers and Phuture Lounge's Dave Jones.

Get up
A slo mo but upbeat disco groove with brass that is more explosive than cemtex.

Woo woo song
Goes all Greg Wilson electro funk. Fresh sounding this is dripping with funk.

Sunshine love
The one for lovers of the Unabomber's housier tracks. The kind of house track that you want to dance to all the way through.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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The original has been produced by Rollo, but don't let that put you off!

Army of one (Mudd remix)
A beautifully blissed out plodder that oozes soul and warmth. A great song and a lovely backing. Everyone from lovers of downbeat house to chilled out bar grooves should try this at least once. Reminiscent of early N.O.W. Flip for the Hardcandy remix that has soaring strings. Also check for J-Walk's highly danceable 80's tinged disco re-edit themed remix, it's very Electric Chair.

Rating - 8.5/10
Reviewer - PT

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Taken from the bongos, bleeps and basslines LP..

I Know what I'm sayin (Feat Phase Rock)
Dark, jazz tinged neck snapping hip hop that is as twisted as they come. Great lyrics and delivery with a very dirty bassline.

bongos, bleeps and basslines
Stuttering jazz samples and house collide on this aptly titled and jacking floor cut. Appealing to the more diverse, this could split your dancefloor in half.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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A mature and versatile LP that touches on all the bases we love and plays through really well. With more guises than Mr Ben, there is a winner on here for everyone.

Pathos
Hip hop paced funked beats that will sound great in the bars and backrooms and are spot on for club warm up.

Charmed
Deep and soulful 4/4 cut that oozes soul. Perfect for warm up / wind down on the floor and a winner for the bars and backrooms. Laura Vane hands in a lovely vocal performance.

900 degrees
Afro flavoured house pumper that Osunlade would be proud of. One for the peak time when you have the crowd on your side. This jolly little number will put smiles on faces.

Day of the jackal
I really like the mad flamenco thing and the horns do me in everytime. This will wake the latin spirit in everyone and I can see this going down a storm in the right place.

Puppy fat
Back to the beats. This ones more floor focused and is dripping with funk.

Real cold
Cut and paste party breaks and beats with wicked drums, hammond stabs, a dope bassline and a top little horn sample, this will work the floor of any decent nightclub into a sweat. An essential track that appeals to all from the trendy beatfreaks and hip hop heads to the old soul and b-boys. More explosive than cemtex, this works without fail.

Summer dream
One of the standouts for me, as soon as I hear the groove I think wicked! I am also a sucker for a nice vocal and this one is perfect for this time of year.

A little something
One of his best to date. Laura’s vocals are spine tingling material and it’s her performance that really make this for me . This fits in with the latin house vibe perfectly even if the keys do remind me of Gypsy Women!

Styles rise
Broken guise next as he goes all Bugs In The Attic and Domu. Deep and soulful with wicked drums and a top low end bassline. Another stand out.

La playas
Jazz tinged deep house done just the way we love it. Great for ealt on the dancefloor and for chilling to in bars and backrooms. Far superior to the vast majority of house tracks that have been put out over recent years.

Cannibal lunch
The vocalist on this (and the next track) reminds me of Beth Orton. A moody little downbeat gem that pulls at the heart strings. Great for chill out and early doors or last tune in the bars.

Waltz till dawn
Cool stoned little jazz swagger on this. With his trademark horns in play over mellow beats this is another quality lounger.

Safe code
Smoked out head nodder puts this fine LP to bed. Great for bars and home play when its been a hectic night and you just want to kick back with a chong.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Young Max & Pat Stash, otherwise known as the Dirty Diggers, drop a cheeky tribute track to Jay Dee. Dilla's 'Steve Spacek - Let The Dollar Circulate' beats get a humorous new topping UK style­ and 'Let The Pound Get Around' is born. Currently only available in mp3 format.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Wicked new funk LP. Australia’s Bamboo’s keep the funk alive with their roots in the past but their eyes on the future.

Step it up featuring Alice Russell
Instant dancefloor filler and future classic to boot. If you have not heard this by now you must be a hemit.

Tighten up
Originally released on a Jazzman 7”. I love the original by Archie Bell and The Drells, plus the Benny Gordon version is cool but this version is burning. Ace drums and tight instrumentation throughout on this timeless funk killer. Massive!

In the bamboo grove
One of the stand out tracks. This goes all classic break based mix up like the breakestra

Golden rough
A lovely hip hop flavoured, tight funky groove that the JB’s would have been proud of.

Black foot
Mid tempo Hammond work out that will get the feet shuffling on any funk and soul loving floor.

Transcend me featuring Alice Russell
The stand out cut for me. This is the one that is causing the buzz further a field than just the new funk fold. I hammered the original when the broken beat scene was kicking off. This killer funk reworking brings it full circle whilst handling this classic with respect. Good to see Alice taking her rightful place behind the mic.

Tobaco Strut
Upbeat party funk groove that ticks all the right boxes in delivering a superb horn packed floor mover.

Another day in the life of Mr Jones
Belting out the funky beats on this uptempo number. Proper jazz funk, I love the horns, this is ace. Originally available on the Limp Twins LP.

Crooked Cop
Decent little Hammond led groove. Another authentic sounding track that does all the right things in all the right places to make us want to phat kneck.

Eel oil
The kind of Hammond led groove they do so well this time with a little country. If it aint broke don’t fix it!

Voodo doll
Head nod funk that fits in the hip hop sets perfectly. This groove rolls on and on like a DJ Premier beat.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Tru Thoughts sister label has been building up a rosta of UK hip hop for a few years now. Maybe not always our bag but always worth checking just in case. See * for the ones your most likely to hear me playing.

Phi Life Cypher - Red Alert feat MCM
This might appeal to the lovers of the more urban side of hip hop. The lyrics are not terrible, but the beats are a bit too bling for me.

Dirty Diggers - The Drink
The track snakes along with an eastern vibe but its DD's quality lyrics that prick my ears up.

Simpson & Rup - Focus *
This instant head nodder is my favourite on offer. This fits my style perfectly. Great lyrics and the track is as funky as they come. I like the low end on this. Great for bars and backrooms as well as being good club warm up tackle.

Life - Come on
One of the standouts from the last LP. This is an instant jump up track.

Headcase Ladz - Ruffle your feathaz
The track is not overly strong but these welsh MC's manage to make me smile. Not bad just not brilliant.

Dirty Diggers - Will you *
Saving the 2nd best till last. A lovely mellow soul backing that allow The Dirty Diggers lyrics and delivery shine on this lounging hip hop gem.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Natural Self's trademark funk breaks and heavy bass plus Nostalgia 77's trademark horn's makes this a recipe for dancefloor destruction on any funky beat loving floor. This has itch written all over it and is the kind of new funk beats that always goes down a storm in Preston.

Slingshot Part 1 is hard hitting from the off and will take no prisoners at peak time.

Slingshot Part 2 lays back on the horns a little, making room for the groove to build around the low end and tight drums. This is good for getting our feet on the floor.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Aim delivers a wicked double A side from his forthcoming LP 'Flight 602'. Both tracks come with his trademark sound and the quality is up there with his early and best work to date. This is going to be huge.

Northwest
This is my favourite title and track. Superb soul drenched down trodden beats with a lovely female vocal.

Walking home through the park
The flip is more of a leftfield flavoured string laiden voyage.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Another cracking compilation from Gilles Peterson's Worldwide label of the year. Here we get eight previously unreleased tracks with a further five only being previously available on vinyl. Limited to 1000 and never to be repressed, this is definately worth picking up. A superb showcase of the outstanding talent signed to the best label in the UK.

Quantic - An announcement to answer
A bit of a grower. This sits somewhere between Will’s live projects and his earlier solo work – like Life in the rain. He gets the balance between programmed beats and live instrumentation perfect.

Alice Russell - A fly in the hand (DJ Vadim remix)
Adding a more authentic beat, making it that bit more dancefloor. Giving the bass a little more beef and a keys a tweak in the p-funk region is all that is needed to phatten up this little nugget.

Kinny & Horne - Forgetting to remember (Nostalgia 77 remix)
New jazz funk beats that we love to nod to in the bars and backrooms. N77’s sound has really matured in the last 18 months. Another winner with superb instrumentation.

Alice Russell - Hurry on now (Dirty Diggers version)
Dirty Diggers are my favourite Zebra Traffic act by far. Here they kidnap Alice Russell and dash down the Lanes in search of hip hop. Great rhymes and delivery, a wicked bassline and great beats. This gets better with each play and is the kind of hip hop that we love.

Quantic & Nickodemus - Mi swing es tropical
If there is one record in that I hammered in last year it was this one. One of the tunes of 2005 for me and its still strong in 06. Joining the dots between slo house, latin, funk and beats perfectly.

The Bamboos - Step it up
Heavy weight funk bomb that is getting hammered everywhere. An all out dancefloor filler. The effect of this in a club, bar or backroom is instant ass shaking.

The Nostagia 77 Octet - Zombie Dance (Parts 1 & 2)
Remix of a track from their live album recorded at the Jazz Cafe. The two parts were previously split on the 7", now we get to hear this jazz dance corker in it's entirity, as it was meant to be heard. Beautiful instrumentation throughout, this has it all for me. Deep.

Diesler - A little something feat Laura Vane
Another TT artist whose sound has really matured in the last 18 months. One of Diesler’s best tracks to date. The vocals from Laura Vane are spine tingling material and it’s her performance that really make this for me . This fits in with the latin house vibe perfectly even if the keys do remind me of Gypsy Women!

Nirobi & Barakas - Bungee jump against racism (Dieler remix)
I prefer this mix to the original by Rob Luis and Bonobo. A bouncy bassline led peak time floor mover. As ever the horns are infectious and his arrangement is top.

TM Juke - Playground Games (Maddslinky V Askew remix) Featuring Alice Russell
Beautiful deep house take on the stand out track from TM Jukes debut LP (Maps of the Wilderness). This is the kind of uptempo club tackle that I love and its soulful enough to play in the bars and backrooms. A proper builder with great basslines. This never leaves the funk alone.

Polar pair V Madslinky - Over my head feat Karolina
One of my favourite broken beat tracks of 2005 and it didn’t come from the Goya camp!! I still love and play this a lot. Ace drums and sharp production oozing the funk. This is of Domu and Seiji standards.

The Broken Keys - Slingshot Part 1
Uptempo floor mover that will have all break lovers in a sweat. Natural Self's trademark funk breaks and heavy bass plus Nostalgia 77's trademark horns makes this a recipe for dancefloor destruction on any funky beat loving floor.

Jumbonics - People people
Seven seconds in a rude is the word. Ultra funky broken groove that’s all about the Hammond and the build.

Dirty Diggers presents The Sticky Kids - Don't blame the parents
Helium sucking rap was always going to bring a grin. Cool and well produced beats twinned with quality rhymes and delivery from Zebra Traffic's finest.

Life - Come on
One of the standouts from his last LP. This is an instant jump up track.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Original
Ursula Rucker is always a joy to listen to and she doesn’t disappoint here. Will’s beats are tight and crisp and the groove slips smoothly under the vocals and builds up nicely. Will Saul is one of the few producers still making interesting breakbeat music. This will appeal to people from a few different fields, crossing over from the breaks scene it into more broken beat, electro and deep house territory.

Evil Nine remix
Evil Nine’s mix also sits snuggly alongside many genres and I can see everyone from the proggy breaks boys to the newer electro house dudes getting on this. Heavy techy beats that cross the 4/4 to breaks bridge nicely. This will pack a punch on the floor whilst still being quite hypnotic.

Rating - 9/10
Reviewer - PT

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Just two of the many different styles that the very talented Mr Radford has mastered. Also check his soon come second LP 'Keepie Uppies' which is scheduled for release 24.04.06

Charmed
This deep and soulful 4/4 cut shows his sound is maturing as he steps up to the next level. With interesting percussion, gentle keys and a warm bassline, this oozes with soulfulness and will warm up / wind down the floor of the mellower clubs; as well as being a winner in the bars and backrooms. After recent work with MJ Cole, Laura Vane hands in a lovely vocal performance and deliver's this infectious and (ahem) charming little song very smoothly.

Real Cold
The flip is more about the cut and paste party breaks and beats. With wicked drums, hammond stabs, a dope bassline and a top little horn sample, this will work the floor of any decent nightclub into a sweat. An essential track that appeals to all from the trendy beatfreaks and hip hop heads to the old soul and b-boys. More explosive than cemtex, this will work everytime!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Two very good UK hip hop numbers, in slightly different veins, that are both appealing.

Spy vs Spy vs Spy
I prefer the laid back and funky beats on the A side. This is definitely my kind of hip hop. I really like the bluesy vibe and the instrumental sounds like a more hip hop styled Portishead with a phatter bass. Vocal delivery is tight and the secret agent theme works well for most. A fresh change in the grime and gansta dominated rap scene. This is very good UK hip hop for all the head nodders out there. One for bars and backrooms. This is a real grower. Fans of Jehst, Dirty Diggers, Braintax etc should check this!

Heavy rollers
A darker and more upbeat vibe that is instantly accessible and more popular than the A side for some. This should cross over to those feeling the funkier urban stuff and those liking Aim, DJ Format and J5. This is the sort of track that gets people's feet moving in the club as well as being good for later in the backroom. Again decent lyrics with a quality delivery and cool scratches.

Rating - 8.5/10
Reviewer - PT

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A wicked bouncy beat, soulful groove and a beautiful horn break. Liked by the soul loving ladies and the hip hop b-boys, this appeals to a diverse audience. Another great cut from a high quality LP.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Diferente
This is my preferred track of the two. Very gentle sounding, this is where live musicianship meets with a deep house groove. The intro builds up nicely with a late night jazz piano and a decent female vocal. I like the way the 4/4 beat only starts a third of the way in and strings are always nice. A bit of a grower, GP do sound different to everyone else right now.

Domingo
With beats from the off, this is best in the mix. A builder that washes over you and sounds fine in the bars and backrooms. Well produced background music. If accordion dance fusion sounds appealing and you don't already know about The Gotan Project then you should listen to this.

Rating - 7/10
Reviewer - PT

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Another cracking EP of loveable booty mash up action from the Rebtuz camp. These are limited to 1000 and are never to be re-pressed so grab one while you can!

Track by track....

Masters at Work - To be in love (Shift mix)
The stand out track for me, this is all over the place and kills me every time. Great vocals on this ace funky take of a house classic. This bursts into wicked jazz breaks and the loopy Herbert-esque outro is great. This appeals to everyone from the house heads through nu jazz to old funk fans. Very useful and a pleasure to drop. Future classic.

Ray Barretto - Indestructible (Diesler remix)
Diesler drops a broken Latin fest that chops up the original flavours to create a floor filling dance floor bomb. Great production as usual. This fits in the West London style sets perfectly and I love the way it fuses the old with the new.

Michael Jackson - Don't stop till you get enough (Aaron Jerome)
Another cracking broken reworking and MJ never sounded so good. A phat and funky groove that sounds great in the mix. This is jam packed with the kind of drums and heavy bass that I love.

Mr Vegas V Root Manuva - Witness heads (Nirobi Edit)
The groove is infectious from the off and you just know this is going to go down well as soon as RM's vocals come in. This conjures up images of lighters held high in a dark sweaty basement and sounds great on a loud PA.

Ms Thing - Jump & Rail (Hint mix)
A bit too urban dancehall sounding for my sets, but I am sure this will have its fans.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Ace production throughout on this fantastic compilation. All of the tunes are all spot on and it's not one of those compilations where you already have half of the tracks, so I am giving this a proper hammering. Another essential release from the excellent Raw Fusion label!

Track by track....

Espen Horne - Colour Away
This mid tempo broken killer is a great way to open. This is laced with afrofunk and has phat drums so it will work on many floors. A decent vocal with a cool fusion of styles.

Fertile Ground - Another Day (Povo Jazz rework)
The vocals are fabulous, really powerful yet smooth as silk. This jazzy house groove will have you grooving all night along.

Teddy Rok - Nelson
Really funky hip hop paced gem that has itch written all over it and has us phat neckin in an instant. This works a treat in both the club and the bar. Somewhere between Madlib, Domu, Quantic and Premier.

Examples - Be kind to your mind
Reminiscent of Erykah Badu’s I want you, but with a more stripped down re-edit feel to the groove. This appeals to everyone from the slo-mo house boys right through to the soul crowd. Great for club warm up as well as bar and backroom play.

Oscar Sharp Feat Melo - Runaway
This is so Eric Robertson. Supa phat and funky vibe with a wicked vocal that oozes the soul. The girlies can’t resist this RnB flavoured treat. This will move people on both the underground and commercial dance floors instantly.

Salem - Face it
This seemed fairly oddball at first but the hook soon has me nodding along. The last minute where it goes more uptempo and loopy is my favourite part.

Up Hygh - The Gift
I am a big fan of Sa-Ra and Platinum Pied Pipers and this is up there with their best. Spaced out and smokey lounge hop with freaky vocals, sludgy basslines and crisp beats. Nice.

Jukka Eskola - 1974
Jazz dance for 2006. Jukka Eskola is great. Here he drops another horn packed groove that will have everyone from old jazz fans to the nu jazz and broken lovers dancing.

Todd Terje - New Morning
Ace live piano that I cant get enough of, on this big latin jazz 4/4 floor mover. The drums, bassline and arrangement are also spot on. Insanely fresh and instantly catchy.

Povo - Hi Fly
This track is massive. Fusing the 4/4, breakbeat and nu jazz styles into one to create an all out floor filler with horns to die for. Probably one of the biggest dancefloor tracks of 2005, this goes down a storm every time. A must for RSL fans.

Bobby Hughes Combination - Goi
A melting pot where east meets mid-west. This conjures up thoughts of cowboys, dusty tracks and sunsets!? Great for club warm up and bar play, as in its fast enough to dance to but pleasant enough to lounge to.

Freddie Cruger feat Desmond Foster - Baddest Mutha
Jimy Castor's Just begun is one of my all time favourites so I was always going to love this. Borrowing the melody for the vocals, whilst dropping horns, some raw and funky percussion and an ace double bassline is pure genius. This sounds ace on a loud PA.

Rasmus Faber feat Melo - Get Over Here
Very useful track that starts with a 4/4 percussion workout, drops into a broken boogie breakdown before going all hands in the air jazz house. The vocal is great on this one and this will fill the floor with ease at peaktime.

12th Floor - Salsa 313
One of the first big peak time broken beat come percussive house tracks of the year. This one is going to be packing them onto the floor for some time to come. Full of that latin flavour that ignites the floor so well whilst being new enough to keep the pioneers happy. This is essential for fans of Spiritual South.

A Bossa Electrica - Skindo LeLe
Another of the big dancefloor tracks of the 2005 and this still sounds fresh now. This has us up and dancing instantly, the vocals are superb and the groove is perfectly produced. The line ‘Singing your heart out makes you feel better’ gives me goose pimples every time. Massive!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Instantly infectious killer funk cut that is up there with QSO and couldn’t have found a better home.  Super tight instrumentation and vocals that Alice Russell fans will love, as will all fans of soul and the funk. This will fill the floor with ease. Bomb!

The LP includes two tracks with Alice Russell and their cover of the Afronaught's broken beat classic - Transcend Me. Also dig for their version of Tighten Up on Kay-Dee, but that is on the LP too!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Superb production, this sounds ace on a loud PA. Proper house music and I love it. Deep, groovy, soulful with a wiff of jazz. Perfect club tracks that are bar friendly too. File next to Moody Man, Onsulade, Theo Parrish and Chez Damier. Wicked!

Available to Download from iTunes, Traxsource, Dancetracks Digital, Track It Down and Topplers. Good stuff like this doesn't come round that often so download it while you can!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Acoustic Version
Don't let the title fool you, this is probably more broken / nu jazz than house. This will appeal to lovers of the deeper end of all styles. A light brazilian sound with a lovely female vocal c/o Monica Passos. This would not sound out of place on Far Out. Great for both the bars and warm up in the clubs.

Lounge Version
A gorgeous live jazzy piano underpins the soulful house vibe. More up and dancing than the acoustic version. Again as equally at home in the bars and on the floor. This will appeal to both the nu jazz and deep house crowd.

Bem Bem Bem - Charles Schillings remix
One for the breaky crew but still good for this style. This has the funk and will be lapped up by the less discerning dj's.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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The first thing that strikes me is that the beats are more funk and jazz sample based - this is a good thing. Life's lyrics are quality and the things he raps about are deep. Real, gripping but often gloomy lyrics. Although I sometimes wish he would vary his flow a bit more and that the interlude beats were longer, there are some decent tracks here. With the popular state of hip hop, it is good to have world conscious rappers.

Rating - 8/10
Reviewer - PT

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End of the road - Fast moving authentic soul killer that oozes the funk. One of my favourite tracks off the LP and it has me grooving without fail. This made total sense when I played it as 2nd to last track at the last itch. This tune always goes down well with the crowd and its nice to have this little edit on a 7".

San Sebastian Strut - I have been hammering this everywhere and I still cant get enough of it. I love the horns, this has a proper little Latin swagger to it and it has you grooving from the off and doesn’t let go until the end. Another corking track to add to the seemingly unstoppable Will Holland’s catalogue. After this many releases some other artists are on their ‘best of’ or ‘anthology’s’, but he keeps churning out the new funk bombs time after time. Future new retro classic that has been going down a storm.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Nostalgia 77 seem to get better and better with each release. Now this world class live act brings jazz to the dancefloor and makes us groove. Super tight instrumentation that sounds great loud and is very well arranged. I can listen to this track over and over again and it just gets better each time. Can’t wait for the Seven’s and Eight’s LP and to see them live! Nostalgia 77 play my kind of jazz. Two copies required for pure dancefloor destroying action, as it's part two when the horns come in and we want to dance.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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In brief this is an essential collection of Quantic related gems that any self respecting lover of Will Holland's music can not live without. It is not possible to have every track on this compilation as some have never been released and you are bound to have missed some the first time around. Stand out tracks for me are:

Quantic - Archipelago
Superb downbeat bliss. Quantic shows them all how its done. 3 years later the copyist still cant get it right. Beautiful.

Bathysphere - Where's Vicky (Quantic remix)
Great remix, probably still one of his best to date. I hammered the isht out of this at the time. Very powerful downbeat track.

Victor Malloy - The girl who wasnt there (Quantic remix)
A lovely vocal led chiller.

Future Loop Foudation - What's you name (Quantic remix)
Another of my favourite Q remixes. I have been hammering this one for years & it still sounds fresh. Broken Latin funk - go on!

Gecko Turner - Limon en la cabeza (Quantic dub mix)
Loose beats, a cheeky groove & some top geetar playin make this a new old favourite. This moves a dance floor with ease.

Quantic - Life in the rain (Dave Da Gato's Ferile Touch)
I never even knew this existed. Twisted degato madness mates with a Q classic & its offspring is ticking hybrid beauty!!

Handpolished - So sudden (Quantic mix)
Wicked, originally released on Do Right, which is a great label. This has everything I look for. Deep, danceable, new style, old sounds. This is a grower!!

Quantic & Mr Scruff - Giraffe walk
Track of the compilation with ease, This has been going down superbly with everyone and I have been battering the hell out of it. 2 of uks best form 1 killer cut!

Quantic - Mishaps happening (Quantic beat mix)
Quality alternative to one of my fave Q tracks. But it was all about the Prins Thomas edit in 2005.

The Ogyatanaa Show Band - Disco Africa (Quantic mix)
Superb remix of this afro killer. Play this then drop the original to cause maximum devastation. Faultless.

DJ Angola - Bailalo
This hasn't come out of my box all year. Awesome dose of afro funk that gets the floor going every time.

Oscar Sulley and the Uhuru dance band - Bukom Mashie (Quantic mix)
Another storming afro reworking. I love the original and this rips it up without fail. Serious heads down dancefloor mayhem.

Rosie Brown - Bliss (Quantic mix)
Killer vocals and a great track that has me bopping everytime. Infectious.

Awa Band feat Tony Allen - Bababatteur (Quantic mix)
A great afrobeat flavoured gem that got played by many Preston DJ's this year as it fits in with many different styles.

Quantic - Blackstone Rock (Fink) (bonus track on the 12" Sampler).
One for the reggae heads, this is reminiscent of Fat Freddy's Drop, but I will wager this came 1st.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Another wicked EP from this versatile producer and great DJ.

Love struck killers
One of my favourite dancefloor tracks of the year. This has superb drums with tones of percussion, a great rolling bassline and a lovely flute sample that gives it that jazzier feel. Somewhere between Nicola Conte and Seiji!

City of god
A bit more of a cut and paste feel to this but the samples are well arranged. This works in the right place and has been appealing to the more beaty end of the crowd.

Dawn of the dead
Two words - fucking brilliant. This groove oozes soul. I love the horns and the beats are pure quality. Production wise its as sharp and deep as Domu. I can play this over and over again and still not get sick of it.

Calling all cars
Both dark and light collide on this heavy broken groove. This fits in my more uptempo sets snuggly and is cool for when you want to drop the vibe down but keep it ruff. Again very Domu and Seiji with a bit of Orin in there too.

Vapour trail
This has been very well received by the hip hop and beatheads and is one of the freshest tracks of late in the 100+ bpm range. This sounds great in the mix and has all the heads nodding along.

High time remix
This spacey downbeat chiller is great for playing out at early doors and late night at home. Quite a deep track, this is well arranged and it has a semi live feel.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Daz-I-Kue can do no wrong for me. Here he takes 'Angel Baby' and drops a killer broken funk bomb. The vox is smooth as honey that oozes soul whilst the dub ruffs it up a bit for the tuffer floors. Afro Elements jazzin bossa remix of 'Wildfire Women' is a wicked afro jazz groover that will go down equally well with both the house and more jazzy word wide crowd. Again a surefire floor filler, with a superb live edge, this has mass appeal. I am going to be playing these tracks for some time to come.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Scenario are back with some excellent UK hip hop, both beat wise and lyrically. I really like the way the hook sample has been chopped up on this, its dripping with funk. The instrumental is also strong and useful. Yam Who takes the original, lobs it out of the window and slips a nu soul funk backing under the acapella, giving it an entirely different vibe. The best Yam Who thing for a while, this grows on me with every play.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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I have always been a hug fan of Jungle Brothers but i was suprised by how good Ali B's track is. Proper phat and funky hip hop beats that are full to the brim with the block party style that I and many others love. Definate get out of jail tune. The vocal version is on the right side of cheese, but i am not sure about the drum roll in the dub. If big funky beats and decent lyrics are your thing you are gonna love this! Fans of DJ Format, J5 and The Beatconductor get very excited by this record.

Rating - 7/10
Reviewer - PT

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Hint continue in their new direction and those that know good music follow with a smile on their face. 'Cat and Mouse' is one of my three favourites here and has a great vocal from Laura Vane, when twinned with the track this oozes soul. Ace for playing with lighter broken stuff, this is as infectious as they come. 'Got a pulse' is a deep funk based groove that sits snuggly between Quantic and Seji's lighter stuff. The kind of track that has you bopping instantly then grows on you with each play, another favourite. 'Bumble Bee' drops into downbeat territory and will keep all the heads nodding. Fans of Hint's early output may ahem make a beeline for this one! 'The Tremmuh' takes us to the land of thugged out broken beat. A little bit Seiji and a little bit I.G. Culture, this has a rude bassline and sounds great on a loud PA. 'Soxoff' is another standout and will have the itchy massive dancing without fail. A surefire floorfiller for all lovers of funk based music. 'The Mist Lifts' is as twisted as they come. It's like Umod on holiday in the Far East, one for the bars when you want to weird them out. Another cracking release from the TT stable.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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Sow into you is the stand out track from the LP and it still does it to me now. Matthew Herbert at his best and Roisin Murphy sounds superb. Bugz in the attic are one of my favourite production outfits and they are leading the way in bringing the broken sound to wider audiences all over the world. Here we get their trademark brilliance in the beats and arrangement. The vocal mix climbs and drops in all the right places and their dubstrumental keeps enough of Roisin's lovely vocal to make it recognisable whilst their future funk sound takes over. A superb alternative to the vocal version giving this package that bit more versatility. I can see a lot of people I know opting for this mix as it is a surefire winner on the floor and seems that bit deeper than the vocal. Easily one of the best broken beat remixes of the year. 'Love in the making' is an added bonus. Herbert does his quirky oddball thing with the track whilst Roisin freaks us out vocally. This will have definite appeal with the leftfield downbeat heads.

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

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2005 really has been the year of the re-edit, and right at the end of it we get Sir Beedle's take on the new Stones track, lifted from their 'A Bigger Bang' LP. Ashley adds a tight funky break and some gorgeous strings to the original disco vibed bassline then just gives it all a bit of a wiggle in the mix. The songs a decent one, the vocals work very well and there is a 'heavy diso dub re-edit' for all the instrumentalists. Apparently big Mick has been on the blower (ahem) with Ashley to personally thank him. Now that's rock and roll! Fans of the Unabombers/Electric Chair check...

Rating - 9.5/10
Reviewer - PT

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This blew me away the first time I heard it and I know it has been doing the same to others. The 3rd in a collectable series of Far Out 7"s (The Joyce one is also essential). The first thing that hits you are the superb drums and killer bassline, then a wah wah and some afro sounding vocalisms join the groove before they finally add a horn to die for. This record joins the dots between the likes of Fela Kuti in the 70's all the way through to Orin Walters aka Afronaught output in 2005. Far Out have split this authentic epic into parts 1 and 2 to keep it really real. Buy two copies!!

Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT

More reviews coming soon

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