DJ Earl Bass Funk Soul

This is an album about nailing the fundamentals. All the talk of impenetrability and high BPMs misses the cool confidence essential to footwork, the style on which DJ Earl cut his teeth. There’s nowhere to hide when you’re working with constantly looped samples, classic drum machine sounds and your own ingenuity. Those beats haveto knock; that crowd hasto feel something. DJ Earlstays true to form here, and delivers one no-nonsense banger after another.

But there’s a surprising warmth and poignancy to his approach, welcoming newcomers in with gorgeous melodies and accessible grooves. ‘Baaaaaa’ sets the tone with its joyous horn lines and clattering hats. Each element is pristine and carefully rendered. ‘Ya Bish’ might intimidate with its incessant hook, but close attention is rewarded with a graceful build. Even the grittiest moments, like the R-rated funk on ‘Right Dere’, are offset smartly elsewhere.

The album’s most heartfelt track is ‘Shitz Aint Safe No Mo’, featuring Traxxman. As you’d expect, the two let the beat and its elegant samples do the talking – but when the beats are this good, it’s all you can do to listen and soak it all in.