VA "Brownswood Bubblers Six" (2010) / lo-fi, electronic, jazzy, disco

"Gilles Peterson celebrates the tenth volume in his “Brownswood Bubblers” compilation series, recruiting another sterling cast of fresh talent from around the world. Opening proceedings on a tender soulful tip is Philip Owusu, an exceptionally gifted Danish singer-songwriter showcasing his brand new solo material. Following up, Reginald Omas Mamode IVth flexes a style that recalls Sa-Ra Creative Partners as much as the wonderfully ramshackle productions of his brother Mo Kolours. Elsewhere, the incredible ESKA demonstrates why she’s one of the UK’s heavyweight musical talents via ‘Gatekeeper’; Bullion and Jesse Hackett (of Elmore Judd / Owiny Sigoma Band fame) form a killer leftfield synth-pop alliance under the moniker Blludd Relations; Moodymann and Paul Hill rep the Detroit connection via ‘Need Me Some U’; and So Paulo’s Joo Sobral works the Brazilian electronic-folk angles. Latterly, LA’s Contact Field Orchestra and Brownswood’s own William Adamson plunge headlong into spacious dub territory before German duo Grandbrothers close the album with ‘Ezra Was Right’ – an epic jam routinely employed by GP as his last tune in his DJ sets – built on multi-layered organic piano textures and a marching 4x4 groove."