A double disc set of delights that celebrates one and a half decades at the top of the game for Barely Breaking Even – and one that brings together some of the hip hop delights they’ve furnished us with over that time, while glancing too at some of the more eclectic output. Pete Rock, Ty, DJ Vadim and Roy Ayers are all present on the first disc, which leans nicely on the jazz side of things without ever threatening to overindulge. In fact things speed up considerably with the inclusion of the DJ Marky & XRS mix of Ayers’ ‘Mystic Voyage’, sharply calibrated and ideally timed. CD2 finds Read adding some soul to the mix from King Britt, Vikter Duplaix and Aaron Jerome – who has of course gone on to find deserved acclaim as the brains behind SBTRKT. BBE have always had an eye on the future in this respect – witness their capture of will.I.Am long before the Black Eyed Peas – and this pair of mixes captures their intoxicating blend of respect for the past and drive for the future.
Various Artists – BBE 15: 15 Years Of Real Music For Real People Mixed By Chris Read – (BBE)
