J.P. Bimeni & The Black Belts - Free Me

(This review first appeared in issue #84 of Shindig! magazine.)

JP Bimeni's back-story is like none other. A descendant of the Burundian royal family, he fled Burundi aged 15 during the 1993 civil war after three attempts on his life. Having survived being both shot and poisoned he managed to attain refugee status and moved to the UK, taking a college place in Wales. It was there he started listening to the soul music that would go on to inform his own singing style. A spell in an Otis Redding tribute revue brought him to the attention of Madrid's Tucxone Records who paired him with The Black Belts to record this infectious album.

If the meeting of southern soul with uptempo African funk doesn't grab you then Bimeni's impassioned vocals surely will. Equally stirring on the tearjerkers or the floor-filling modern funk numbers. Free Me is one of the year's must-have soul albums and a reminder of how compelling singing from the heart can be.

Cranium Pie - Mechanisms Part Two

Majestic prog-opus ahoy!Funnily enough it's a follow up to Mechanisms Part One! Who woulda thought?!

Fans of Fruits De Mer Records will no doubt already be familiar with Cranium Pie, the band having contributed tracks to various FDM cover version compilations over the years. Here though we get to hear what the band are really about. Mechanisms Part Two is oddly enough the follow up to Mechanisms Part One, their 2012 album about a battle between civilizations of robots and crayfish. I don't know what the local council are putting in the water in Wiltshire but it may be stronger than fluoride! Either that or we're in the company of a very adventurously creative group of people.

Mechanisms Part One went on to be Classic Rock's “bonkers prog album of the year 2012”, so Part Two has something of a reputation to live up to. Over the four sides of vinyl the band are free to stretch out into the furthest reaches of sonic exploration. With heavy Hammond organ, free-jazz-rock drumming and Brian Blessed-esque vocal passages this is music that calls to mind the giants of early '70s progressive rock – Soft Machine, Zappa and Aphrodite's Child may all be influences, but there are also some other more unlikely musical nods in the album's grooves with some surprisingly funky psychedelia.

It seems there may be just as many Funkadelic, Parliament and Prince records in their collections as there are records by The Nice and Caravan. Side One sees the band co-opt the bass line from Isaac Hayes' Ike's Rap II, with Side Three beginning with wacka-wacka guitar chops straight of his Shaft album. Elsewhere there's music borne out of of intuitive collective jamming. So while it's without question another “bonkers prog album” it's also a surprisingly soulful and funky one.

Like many FDM releases, the vinyl version is sure to sell out quickly so if you've missed out bug them for a re-press of make do with a digital copy. Be warned though – it may fry your brain like no other record this year, albeit in a good way.

Limited to 700 copies on colour vinyl double LP with gatefold sleeve.

On Fruits De Mer Records' Regal Crabomophone imprint.

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Happy Monsters LP - Funk for children!

I've always had a soft spot for children's records that dates back to Rolf Harris' Two Little Boys 7" and an LP by Pinky & Perky that were jointly owned by me and my older brother. The Pinky And Perky LP had a version of The Kinks' Apeman on. I reckon it now resides in my mum and dad's loft. One of these days I'm going to get up there and dig that beauty out. I always root kid's records when they're in with a chance of the Christmas number one slot too, if a children's record can't be number one at Christmas then there's something wrong. It seems po-faced and churlish of us to wish otherwise.

Those seeking some vintage and slightly creepy children's records should check out the excellent Fuzzy Felt Folk compilation that came out on Trunk Records a few years ago. Sinister early '70s acid folk for kids, great stuff. Trunk Records also recently released an album of music recorded for the classic kid's TV show Fingerbobs, also well worth tracking down.

I was a happy man to find this LP called Happy Monsters in my local charity shop for the princely sum of £1. Released on the American Happy House label and dating back to the early '70s. Side one features a story about Betty and Bobby meeting some friendly monsters in the land of Ooog. Flip it over to side two and you're treated to five instrumental funk tracks augmented with klaxons, quacks and horns. Versions of CC Rider, Kiss Me Goodnight and perhaps best of all James Brown's Papa's Got A Brand New Bag. Click on the music player and take a listen, you'll never hear the original in the same way ever again. Please feel free to use the comments section to recommend you own favourite kid's records. Stay young folks!



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