VARIOUS ARTISTS – THE NEW GOLD STANDARD (FORT KNOX RECORDINGS)
May 9th, 2006 by soyo
Oh Lordy! If Fort Knox Recordings are setting the new gold standard this high, then they are going to take some catching!
This retrospective of releases from the Fort Knox Recordings stable (including a few newbies to tempt the already converted) kicks some butt. “The New Gold Standard” is packed full of that funky goodness that is the Washington DC’s label trademark sound.
Featuring great tracks from Fort Knox Five, Rex Riddem, Speedy Consuela, Lift Off and International Velvet, makes it hard to pick out a single duff track. Its all here: super tight hip hop beats, chunky funk, 60s style pop, shaft style blaxploitation scores, sun-kissed downtempo, psychedelic sitars. Rather than being a hotch potch of styles, its all perfectly glued together with smiley breaks and funk.
Fort Knox Recordings, like their UK doppelganger Jalapeno Records, have cornered the funky breakbeat market. By taking the best bits of funk from the last 40 or so years and blending it with the less dark bits of electronic break heavy dance music they have made an instantly accessible sound. The thing that makes the Fort Knox Recordings music stand out is the sheer joy and ebullience they seem to cram into every track, and that runs right through all of their releases. Something that electronic music sometimes seems to lack.
Considering the heavyweight political neighbours (or maybe because of) Fort Knox Recordings share their city with, its great to hear the exhuberance and good time lust for life is so apparent. Funk for Peace! as it says on their myspace site
Picking stand out tracks seems futile. Listen to the whole album for an indulgent, stonking slab of fun. DJs keep it in your box for the times when you need that secret weapon. (“The New Gold Standard” is a little gem of a cd for djs, even the most cadaver-like crowd couldn’t resist these grooves. )Stick it on if you’re at home feeling a little flat, things will feel a bit better afterwards Im sure.
Head on over to their myspace site www.myspace.com/fortknoxfive for a preview.
Soyo
