Moodyman

The latest Moodymann disc opens with a two-and-a-half minute orchestration of deconstructed jazz drums, a jerky clavinet line and synth-strings on high. The disordered harmonies reflect producer Kenny Dixon Jr.’s. Detroit state of mind, simultaneously conjuring dreamy aspirations and the concrete realities of street-life. From here emerges the sexy disco-jazz of "People” and analog madness of "Backagainforthefirsttime?” Dixon’s flow is chaotic, but never loses his sense of funky playfulness. Deep in the Silent Secret Garden, one continues to find luscious grooves scored with mumble-level jive-talk, editing mistakes performed intentionally and live jams from saxophonist Norma Jean Bell and key man Amp Fiddler. "Yesterday’s Party Watta Bout It” is a personal favourite for the way Dixon dramatically interrupts sunny, dub riddims with funked-up bass riffs and then halfway through reverses the attack at anthemic techno tempos. The track-listing here numbers ten tracks, but the ever-prolific Dixon manages to compress a few extras between each of them, making things even more pleasurably disorienting.