Dusted Off. Black Jazz Chronicles – Future Juju (Nuphonic 1998)
Second forgotten piece of vinyl we dig out of the collection to give it the attention we feel it deserves. Easily one of my favourite albums of all time. By one of my absolute musical heroes. On a label that has been seminal in my musical education.
As part of the Ballistic Brothers, Black Science Orchestra, Rising Sunz, Los Jugaderos and many other projects Ashley Beedle has more than deserved his place in our musical pantheon. Nevertheless it’s this album that’s my favourite. The fusion of Techno, African Rhythms and Jazz still sounds so amazingly fresh and has been rarely matched (As One’s Planetary Folklore being one of the rare exceptions). Still wearing the ‘future’ tag proudly and well-deserved even if it’s more than 10 years old. A must have in every collection that claims to be progressive and rooted in either African and dance music traditions.
Ridiculously easy and cheap to find second hand. It should be a stepping stone to other Ashley Beedle music. Certainly Ballistic Brothers (their second album being a very close second in my list of my most preferred Beedle-related productions) should appeal to those that like this. And a hint that Nuphonic is a label worth checking. The early Faze Action, Soul Ascendants, Block 16 and the fantastic compilations they’ve released are must-have’s for any fan of off-centre dance music.
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