King Britt

Many, many British hip-hop/soul-oriented labels have put out "spacey jazz” compilations over the last 20 years or so. Most of them feature sample-ready sections at some point in each song, or catchy soul hooks to keep the cosmic vibes aligned and grounded. King Britt has finally broken through the gentility that guides most of these types of collections and put together a very strange, funky, chaotic and engrossing set of tunes. Flora Purim is someone who has plenty of sunny, groovy songs in her catalogue, but here she’s represented by a nightmarish construction of delay and vocals. Likewise, Michal Urbaniak went on to an advanced level of inconsequential fusion, but here he scrapes away on violin on top of one of the fattest post-Miles bass lines you’ll ever dip your toes into. Electric Miles is a starting point, a place where blues, electronics and bad vibes intersect — don’t expect any crucial dance floor gems. This is refreshingly unlike many compilations of years gone by; it’s funky, with attitude and dread, something you feel rather than throw down to. This cosmic lounge has soft, smelly couches, hookahs and red-eyed patrons throughout.