LOUIS COLE | KEFAYA + ELAHA SOROOR | BONOBO | BODY MEAT | UNDERWORLD

Hello again friends, freaks and fans of nu-jazz music of the kind that never quite makes centre-court.

Have I got some bangers for you this week!

Opening up with an ace fast enough to tear you a new one, is our old friend Louis Cole – he of KNOWER fame. His track Doing the Things (our Charm Offensive choice this week) combines all his usual video-game-soundtrack stylings with a jazzier edge provided by more horns and flutes than you can shake a reed at.

Following that up with a forearm smash straight down the line is Kefaya (pictured) and Elaha Soroor, whose “Afghan folk music filtered through myriad forms, from spiritual jazz to dub” provides our Military Coup.

Mixing it up a bit with some airy chip shots towards the back of the court is Bonobo. His latest single, a brooding dance track called Linked, provides our Peaceful Protest this week.

And throwing a Nick Kyrgios-style fit but making everybody giggle along anyway is Body Meat, whose fucked-up footwork with Ethiopian rhythms on Nairobi Flex is our Guerrilla Warfare selection.

Finally, our Quiet Riot – that’s right, the Quiet Riot – comes from 90’s rave gods, Underworld. That’s right, that Underworld. The surprisingly mature electronica of Custard Speedtalk rounds off our list so surprisingly, it’s like your 16-year-old self coming back to hand your own arse to you on a plate, Coco Gauff -style.

So, there you have it. If one of those unlikely contenders sounds like the Serena Williams to your Andy Murray, by all means, read on…

LOUIS COLE: DOING THE THINGS
KEFAYA + ELAHA SOROOR: JAMA NARENJI
BONOBO: LINKED
BODY MEAT: NAIROBI FLEX
UNDERWORLD: CUSTARD SPEEDTALK

P.S. You can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the 45 RPM Playlist on Spotify itself.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

– SV –