Adrian Younge—Afro-Disco Makossa

Soul and jazz are not my usual staples, but sometimes I hear something and it just speaks to me, regardless of the pigeonhole it's put in.

I have to admit my curiosity got the better of me, so I had to find out what Makossa meant and, apparently, it's a style of music from Cameroon. Here, it's fused with a seductive blend of disco grooves and psychedelic soul, resulting in something that compels you to move.

The EP opens with "Feel The High Life" and it's the drums that greet you, working their way under your skin. Starting with a very jazzy feel, they then become somewhat more laid back. The African sensibilities are evident in the drums and vocals, which have a very soulful feel. The jazz influences are there too, but on this track they're very subtle. The beat is very repetitive, giving it that wonderful, mesmeric feel.

Again, jazz-style drums provide the intro on "Shake Down", but the bongos are also partners in crime, as indeed is the bass, further reinforcing the driving beat. Eventually, the guitars come in, giving it a much trippier feel. I couldn't help but feel, though, that the vocals were something of a distraction, preventing me from getting completely lost in the music, which is so good.

More amazing drum work opens "Number One", which is something I could listen to in isolation for a long while. I just can't seem to get past the vocals, I'm more compelled by the music and therefore see the vocals as a distraction. But the music is just so good. It has that 70s feel, which brings back memories of old 70s cop shows.

There's a long build-up to the vocals on "Every Body", and they're a little more subdued, which made them a little less jarring. But it's still the music that you can't help but get swept up in. There's also some nice sax and trumpet work towards the end of the track, and even a little flute to close things out.

I keep getting hints of something else in "Fire in the Disco". It has a very 70s feel, but it's the combination of that high electronic sound and the vocals that brings an enormous sense of déjà vu, but I just can't put my finger on what it is. Again, the flute is a nice addition to the track.

The final track, "Afro-Disco Makossa", has a distinctly different vibe from the rest of the EP. That same hypnotic beat is there, but it has a slightly different feel, bringing things to a close without losing that infectious rhythm.

I wanted to really love this EP, and while there's a lot that I really like, I think for me the vocals are too much of an distraction. Again, there's nothing inherently wrong with them, but given that this isn't usually my kind of music, I think they get in the way of what I'd really like to get out of the EP and that's something to get lost in. The music is so compelling that I find myself wanting to disappear into it, and, for me, the vocals ultimately make that difficult.

Perhaps that's an unfair criticism, because the vocals are clearly an integral part of what makes this music what it is. But sometimes a record can be technically excellent and still not quite connect in the way you want it to. And that's where I found myself with this EP. I really like the music, I just wanted to lose myself in it a little more than the vocals would allow.