African Fabrics by Daniel Haaksman
Summery sounding pop tunes based on African culture and cutting-edge bass music
Building on the Baile Funk of his first album, Daniel Haaksman has focused his attention on African rhythms and tropical bass on his new release African Fabrics.
Successfully weaving together a range of (primarily African) musical styles from Afro Footwork to Minimal Marimba House to Two-Step Bass, it's not just a rich and vibrant tapestry the music paints, there's plenty of artistic thought behind the eleven tracks. Rename the Streets, for instance, questions the names of some streets in Berlin's "African Quarter" named after dubious colonial figures (check the video), while the fun and memorable Black Coffee (feat. Dama Do Bling) reminds us how important coffee is to the continent. Furthermore, each track has it's own individual art work produced by German sculptor Tobias Rehberger.
With hints of both Paul Simon and Diplo, the music is as varied as it is upbeat, with many standout pop moments. The tracks featuring Bulldozer's champeta guitar in particular are excellent and will no doubt appeal to John Peel fans. It may only be February but summer has come to the Northern hemisphere early!
8/10 after 10 listens