Some Beats To Move Ya Feets

Eighteenth Street Lounge released French DJ Chris Joss' great debut LP You've Been Spiked this week. Keeping in line with the label's aesthetic, it's a very groovy, '60s and '70s influenced party soundtrack. There are Euro spy themes, funky blaxploitation riffs, and on A Part In That Show some killer disco. It's a cross between Chic and Bob Sinclar, with a poppin' bass line, the requisite scratchy guitars and some great squelchy synths. "Jump up, let's go. let's take a part in that show!"

Also out this week is Fingathing's latest sci-fi laced adventure ...And The Big Red Nebula Band. The last couple of albums were released on the Grand Central imprint, but the new one gets it's US release on the venerable NinjaTune. These guys don't get a lot of hype for their music, but I enjoy it. A blend of live and sampled instrumentation, including some killer double bass, they deftly mix hip hop, spy music, breakbeats and a smattering of proggy tendencies (all of the albums have a concept/theme that's carried on from record to record). On Synergy they add a new style to the mix - booming electro. It's old skool beats are topped of with one furiously funky bass riff, wiggy scratches, and as the song goes on, all manner of strings. It's big, nuff said.

DJ Krush's Jaku was released a few weeks ago, and as with all of his records, it has taken a few weeks for it to sink in. Road To Nowhere is a dark and moody instrumental cut. The beat has a bit if a sleigh bell thing going on in it, and it's one of those low slung, loping beats - so loose it's tight. It's topped off with the requisite jazzy double bass line, some nice string samples and a few ghostly electronic noises. Keeps my head bobbing...