Moodymann / SINNER: KDJ-48

This album is a collage. Moodymann patches classic house beats, soul samples, and masterful sound design together, often putting his own voice over it all. Some notable emphasis on distorted guitars and 80s-ish basslines. Consistently danceable and undoubtedly fun. Explores cool territory but can verge on disjointed or busy at points. Bonus tracks switch up the vibe from the rest of the album, but both are super cool! Favorite tracks: 3, 5, 8, 9. (Dj phony aka Noah)

01 – “I’ll Provide”: Heavily distorted guitar hook, house beat, Massive Attack-esque strings, and distinctive lazy Moodymann vocals. Totally danceable groove, broken up by the more sound-collage elements. Not typical soul-inflected Moodyfare, but fun. FCC***

02 – “I Think of Saturday”: 80s drum-machine chugging groove. Moodymann vocals prominent again. Also a bit of an evolving sound collage. Danceable but not the most dynamic track.

***03 – “Got Me Coming Back Rite Now”: Tough neosoul-ish drum sample with spliced up vocals and some great sound design. Alternates with sampled vocal hook with synthetic string pad. Slow transitions, again collage-like.

04 – “If I Gave U My Love”: Kind of off-kilter song that doesn’t go where you expect. Featuring a diverse range of vocal samples, bass, and drum sections, all continuously recontextualizing a static back-and-forth organ line. Builds it up and breaks it down. Satisfying Billie Jean-like groove.

**05 – “Downtown”: Background chatter, floating congas, walking bass, swirling Rhodes. House music’s take on smooth jazz. Gets groovy & danceable, with airy vocal sample. Very calm vibes.

06 – “Deeper Shadow”: Taking it back to more unstable ground. A lot going on in one track. Spliced up vocals, distorted guitars. Acid basslines, electric keys, background chatter and claps. Evolves into slippery bass with voice, suggestions of verse/chorus structure, playfully hip-hop influenced beat.

07 – ”I Got Werk”: Electric guitar hook with four-on-the-floor beat, back to Moodymann vocals. Backwards guitar samples float over the sampled mantra “make yo money babe”. Chatter floats in the back. Builds and drops. Nice bouncy groove.

***08 – “Mile D Boy” [BONUS TRACK]: Squelchy bass, half-rapped-vocals, fuzzed out synth-beat. Super synthy and fun. Start and stop breakbeat. Develops into more techno ground. Some great sound design on vocals.

****09 – ”Sinner” [BONUS TRACK]: Oooh yes. Slow groove with ethereal vocals, Thundercat-like bass, verry smooth. A song carried by vocals, not a house track. Moodymann even sings. Kills it. Definitely FCC! ****