Djinji Brown/Various

As exhibited on his Sirround Sound effort, Djinji Brown is a sound scientist with eclectic tastes and collage-happy techniques. This mix CD from the producer draws on the wide range of music that contributes to his approach. In the album liner notes, Brown contributes his "thoughts on being a DJ” and expresses that it’s all about selection and goes on to definitely prove his point by speaking authoritatively with his hands. Blaxploitation themes and the rhythmic sway of Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria set the intense rhythmic tone early and the broken beat of Bugz in the Attic’s Afronaught and Agent K kicks things into to high gear. The connection between organic and electronic grooves is an omnipresent theme and is further underlined by the inclusion of Osunlade’s peerless soulful house reworking of DJ Jazzy Jeff’s "Rock Wit You.” Traversing Afro-Cuban, house, broken beat, ’70s funk and reggae, Brown logically connects it all. While his selection is on point his mixing is noticeably off at times, but Brown’s focus on top-drawer selection ensures he gets away with what he plays, rather than how he plays it.