Moodymann

Review: A super hot reissue of Moodymann's Forevernevermore album on Peacfrog. This was Kenny Dixon Jnr's third album (following the seminal Silentintroduction and Black Mahogani), released back in 2000. The pleasing thud of "Tribute" and idiosyncratic deep strut of "Your Sweet Lovin" linger long in the ears, whether you're hearing for the first time of the 100th. Indeed everything here is dripping with MPC brilliance; jazzy samples, crackly Detroit atmospherics and the occasional recording of Moodymann's own distinctive croaky voice, making it an utterly essential purchase for Detroit cognoscenti who missed it the first time round.

Review: It would be fair to say that Studio K7 has pulled off something of a coup in getting Kenny Dixon Jr. to agree to compile and mix the latest installment in the long-running DJ Kicks series. It is, somewhat remarkably, the legendary Detroiter's first commercially available mix set. This triple-vinyl edition features a whopping 19 cuts - all in unmixed form - from the 30 track mix. Musically, it's a blazed, jazzy, soulful and groovy as you'd expect, and contains a mixture of downtempo beats, nu-jazz and hazy house cuts from the likes of Flying Lotus, Dopehead, Peter Digital Orchestra, Nightmares On Wax, Soulful Session and Lady Alma.