Moodymann - Moodymann - KDJ CD

As with pretty much all Kenny Dixon Jnr releases, Moodymann - his eleventh full-length - has caused something of a stir, with vinyl copies selling out in the blink of an eye. Now on CD, the album remains one of his best - a kaleidoscopic, fast-paced sprint through soul-soaked deep house, baked drum machine jams, jazz-flecked interludes and low-slung grooves. Dixon's distinctive drawl is more prominent than on some previous excursions - no bad thing - while fans will notice a slew of alternative versions of KDJ classics - "Freeki M*thaf*cka" being perhaps the best known. Best of all, though, are the more downbeat moments - see "Heaven" and "Stupid Cosmic" - which allow Dixon to indulge his atmospheric tendencies. In a word: essential.