Futureproofing by Mera Bhai
East meets West with Indian Carnatic music, Arabic Rai and 70s Disco pummelled with a dose of Acid House and Detroit Techno
London-born, with roots in India, Italy, Albania, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Nigeria... yeah, you get the idea, Mera Bhai (real name Karthik Poduval) has been about, and his music reflects that, with cultural references distilled in flamboyant yet concise form at every beat. The Flamingods member follows his debut track (a cover version of Ahmed Fakroun's Jama El F'na) on Moshi Moshi Music, with more of the same rip-roaring fare on his Futureproofing EP. That track actually reappears here as a "Bootleg" version along with two excellent left-field Pop tracks featuring vocals from Andrew Ashong and Alxndr London - the former falling somewhere between Outkast and Thundercat. It's flagrant full-on fun from start to finish.