The New Testament Of Funk: Volume 1

After too long - around two years - since the last album to be released by the indispensible London-based Acid Jazz label, 1999 is off to a flying start with this hour's worth of classics that have wired up UK dance-floors to the latest mash-up of breaks, beats and improvisation, plus some early takes on forthcoming projects.

Volume 1 (what a promising title . . .) kicks off with Xavier Fisher's latest enclave, the seriously souled-out Sookie All Stars funking up Richie Haven's monster, "Freedom" - all dripping Curtis M guitar and fruity clavinet - then slips seamlessly into stripped down gallic disco with NLE, pumps up the bass bumps and triangle accents for German new signing Erobique (aka Casten Meyer), and comes over all hardboiled breakbeats with The New Testament slamming the theme to The Professionals up against the Granada just one more time.

Next is a slyly addictive taste of bhangrajazz from new signing Pathaan, then a lyrical, spaced monkey, James Lavelle stretch mix as the Man from Unkle tries on the Emperor's New Clothes which dissolves into Aussie Martin Sheen getting anthemic over a psychoactive sitar and handclaps backbeat. And if you're not tired of jigging about yet, Chekhov's mesmeric Aha and T-Boy's traffic-jammed baritone saxophones in Jetsonville or Melbourne-based remixer OSS's latest incarnation, where the Models meet Devo in Daft Punk's backyard, should all trigger your slow twitch fibres nicely.

Which only leaves Paul Murphy collaborating with Canadian producers High Fidelity and German djs Unique on a madhouse breakbeat pastiche of sixties ads, seventies soul and several sampled kitchen sinks. Face it, if you can't find your cup of tea in here then you're either not thirsty or in the wrong town altogether . . .

TRACK LISTING:The Sookie All Stars - Freedom, NLE - Get Yourself Together, Erobique - Nochmal Tanzen, The New Testament Of Funk - The Professionals, Pathaan - The Arrival, Emperors New Clothes vs The Man From Uncle - Leaders and Believers, Luthier - Shambala, Chekhov - Aha, T-Boy & ALX - What, 9 Karat Goldmine - Tore Up From The Floor Up, High Fidelity - Cream Of The Beats.

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