Funk / Reissue Recommendations February 2009

Review: In recent times, funk breaks maestro DJ Soopasoul has devoted much of his time to creating and releasing reworks and mash-ups as part of his top-selling Soopastole Edits series. Now he's decided the time is right to unveil some new original music via Jalepeno Records, an imprint he's been associated with since the dawn of time (well, 2008). 'Hot & Cold', featuring the strong and sassy lead vocals of Dionne Charles, is a prize chunk of shuffling sixties soul action built around crunchy drum-breaks, insanely heavy bass, clipped guitars, punchy horn lines and some suitably sustained Hammond organ stabs. He doffs a cap to the B-Boys and B-Girls on flipside 'Hustlin', a break-dance friendly instrumental number that sits somewhere between the Incredible Bongo Band and 21st century soul revivalists the Dap-Kings.