How often do you find a really special LP these days? If we are all honest, we’ll answer this question quite quickly-music has become a cheap mass product, 90% of the tunes released being average. But the sought after exceptions to the rule are still there-it just needs some classic digging like back in the days. A real pearl of a release is Craig Smith’s vinyl only ‘Soul Searching Vol 1’ LP on SFSB Recordings, a record that grabs you with the very first listen. You necessarily don’t need to be a Soul fan but Soul is what this record is all about. The master cuts and chops classic, often unknown or overlooked Soul samples in a way he only can do, adding new drums and FX here and there without losing respect and faith to the Original record. AND what he really earns props for is the fact, that is refusing to speed up the samples like many other do-the result are quite short, slow jams with a Hip Hop kinda beat. All in all this is an essential record. Go and get it now-not only for the love of vinyl!
4.5 out of 5
Reviewed by MANNIX
