Funky Friday Fink



One man band Fink released his LP Fresh Produce on NinjaTune's now defunct ambient imprint Ntone back in 2000. It's a record that actually fits better/belongs among NinjaTune's best known releases - you know, the Coldcuts, the DJ Foods, the Herbalisers. It's a heady brew of beat experimentation, with luscious downtempo and abstract hip hop grooves, jazzy licks and hefty helpings of r'n'b, as well as odd vocals and plenty of quirky samples. I played the record to death at the time, and couldn't believe how people appeared to be sleeping on it. I offer my two favorite examples of it's brilliance on this funky Friday - Ever Since I Was A Kid (Part 1) warmly tells the story of a jazz music junkie's never ending quest for fresh new vinyl - "I'm spending all my money on records" - something that really strikes a chord with me and probably a lot of you too! Good Day For Hippos has such a splendid name that you just can't go wrong, and luckily the tune is just as ace as the title - warm Rhodes keys, watery splashes, and a real '70's kid show theme kind of feel to it. To the best of my knowledge he has yet to record a follow up this record, although he has released some records under the name Sideshow - they are more on the house and techno tip than the stuff here. A much slept on LP that needs to be heard.