We’ve been waiting for this one for a while, ever since Jimmy Edgar’s ‘Color Strip’ LP for Warp revealed him to be an artist in the finest Detroit tradition. As well as paying homage to his techno heritage, though, there is a large slab of P-funk on the dancefloor, so a lot of these tracks acquire sensual funk round the edges. Initially Edgar threatens to self destruct, placing the first third or so of the record in the same key, so that while speeds and textures change, the pitch remains the same. It’s a risky approach, but comes off providing you listen to the whole album, when tracks like ‘In My Color’. The influence of Juan Atkins is clear – but competes with those of Prince and Funkadelic to make an intriguing listen. It may have less head tension than the last record, but you can’t have a track called ‘Hot, Raw, Sex’ without making a deliciously unkempt groove to go with it. Edgar is forging an interesting path – watch this space to see where he goes next.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
