The fifth in this consistent series from Harmless finds the London collective Bugz In The Attic in control of the proceedings. Founders of the widely respected Bitasweet label, kings of the remix scene, the ‘Bugz have long championed their distinctive blend of soul, funk, jazz and afro, culminating in their hugely successful remix collection last year. As always, the Life:Styles ethos gives the compilers the opportunity to show off their record collections, hopefully offering the listener a glimpse of their influences along the way. Bugz In The Attic’s 2 CD selection leans heavily towards soul and funk, from early to mid 80’s classic boogie – Roy Ayers “Chicago” (recently ‘covered’ by Henrik Schwarz), Loose End’s “Gonna Make You Mine”, Will Downing’s “In My Dreams”, Tom Browne’s “Come For A Ride” – through to newer hip-hop sounds – Slum Village’s “Get Dis Money” – then back again to early disco – Dr Buzzards’ “Sunshowers” – via rare groove and funk (Johnny Hammond & Creative Source being two stand outs). Essentially, it’s music that formed the backbone of London’s pirate radios in their heyday during the late 80’s, and could almost run as a musical family tree of todays broken beat / nu-jazz scene. Obviously compiled with passion and love for the music, this is another great addition to the Harmless catalogue.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Darren Wall
