Various: Soul Addiction

Blending '60s and '70s funk influences with a '00s downtempo sensibility, Cookin’ have come up with a musical decompressant for your hectic life. After-hours or just on your downtime, the chilled out, funked up sounds of Soul Addiction act as a musical balm for any scenario. Whether it’s the last thing you hear leaving the club, the drive-home soundtrack, or the warm blanket that welcomes you home, Soul Addiction will soothe your body and mind. The loose-limbed funk of this collection has a less relenting rhythm, requiring less thought and more soul. Model’s "The Next Move" lays down a fluid, melodic groove that typifies what’s to come. Sonic Generation’s "Funky Solution" writhes to a slinky funk with a '70s rare groove edge. Makoto’s "Think Twice" and Blend’s "Love Script" are coiled to a tighter, brisker funk. Tracks like these and Cedar’s "References" conjure up images of lanky, groovy, brown-corduroy wearing white boys feelin’ it alongside afro-ed, retro-outfitted hipsters joined under the groove and gettin’ loose. The producers on this album excel in taking the spontaneous, funky vibe of yesteryear and updating it with tight programming and intricate production. They fuse the best of both worlds into an album that is deliciously inviting and one of the year’s more worthwhile purchases.

Courtesy of BPM Magazine/ DJMixed.com