“The Buena Vibra Sound System is Sidestepper founder Richard Blair’s Afro-Colombian brainstorm. The 11 tracks here represent the first taste of the Buena Vibra club sound released on disc. The influences that come into play on these tunes are numerous, to put it mildly. It may not be an album that’s easily categorized, but it’s definitely easy to love. Opener “Sidestepper” is a salsa-inspired number that recalls the outfit’s early groove. “Deja Soft” has a subtle Jamaican dub consciousness, a hip-hop component, an overdubbed vocal track that has a definite Laurie Anderson tweak and layered rhythms courtesy of Blair’s programming chops. “La Paloma” opens with a purely electronic vamp, then morphs into music that feels like Afrobeat, except that the relentless bassline is Afro-Colombian and Jacobo Velez’s clarinet, sailing above the groove, is free-form jazz. —Philip Van Vleck”
Latest Comments