Michel Baumann is a busy guy. The man behind the Jackmate moniker, and the Philpot & Phil E labels, he also finds time to release consistently good material for Playhouse, Perlon, DIY, Mule, and many more besides, not to mention his various remixes and productions for other artists. His Soulphiction guise finds him straying from the house template to incorporate jazz, soul, hip-hop, funk and more filmic electronic moments, building further on what was created with 2006’s “State Of Euphoria” long player. Jazzy, feel good beats like “Sun Children”, darker jazz moments like “Cargo” or the fantastic club bumping “Velveteen”, and the slow, woozy just woken up feel of “Dark Berry”, all demonstrate Baumann’s unerring ability to build a groove that pulls the listener in, creating a sultry album that’s chock full of grooves you can dip into or relax to in full. Given his obvious talent for vocal cuts (the excellent opener, “Chevy Estate”) it’s a shame there’s not more vocals in evidence, but maybe that’s something to look forward to on future albums from Soulphiction. As it is, this is still a great listen from start to finish.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Darren Wall
