TONY ALLEN Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Tony Allen's most recent long player, Film Of Life, is revisited here with both Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer, and rising house producer Fort Romeau tasked with remixing the Nigerian drummer's work. Vilod, as they are preferring to be called these days, sit up top with a typically long form take on "African Man" which reconstitutes the blaring horn funk of Allen's original piece into a subtle 12 minute reduction of electronic house music. On the flip Ghostly artist Fort Romeau reimagines the Damon Albarn featuring "Go Back" as whispy, deep house with some charming analogue synth flourishes.

Review: Tony Allen's "Asiko", the leading tune on his 1999 LP Black Voices, has been a favourite of our regardless of impeding remixes, reworks, or reissues. It's still a pinnacle of the future jazz movement, blowing everything else out the water in the process. Rightfully, Holland's Dekmantel have decided to resurrect its timeless qualities and to give German-Chilean legend Ricardo Villalobos the tools to deliver some reinterpretations. Thanks to Honest Jon's Records, the two have already worked together, and Villalobos' ritualistic percussion has proven to work wonders next to Allen's legendary drumming and arrangmements. In short, it's as if they were made for each other - two ends of the spectrum that merge beautifully. The firs remix is moody, funky, and absolutely lit, banging out hypnotic drums over deep bass and glitch sonics, while the second part strips the beats out in favour of more wide-eyed melodics, infused with a futuristic style of jazz that is prone to opening minds. Warmly recommended.