Not heard much from Pantone of late after the brilliant Yukihiro Fukutomi and Jafrosax albums when Gav Smith launched the label (read the interview with the man himself).

A nifty 7” by Bun (with an excellent remix from Break Reform) marked the way for this forthcoming CD by Breakthrough.

Twenty-one tracks with a delightful Japanese friendly mix of hip hop and jazzy guests gives this album a diverse coherent sound with an abundance of star guests, of which many are firm Fly favourites.

When DJ Jin was joined by DSK Invisible and Masaya Fantasista to form Breakthrough the idea was to proceed to a new hip hop style. Well to go forward, you have to know you’re past and Jazzamatazz is an obvious influence.

So we have gone ‘This Way Before’ with rap from Maspyke (‘3 Wheel Hooky’) and the broken-Sa-Raesque ‘Rude One Space Rythmes’ featuring Spacecatz gets on a broken tip via west London’s fav Kiwi, Mark de Clive Lowe on ‘Finger Funk’.

Staying in the leftfield is Jneiro Jarel (who is current getting the big ups with the hip hop-other world collective, Shape Of Broad Minds) who keeps it simple on ‘Not Tomorrow But’ and ‘No Game’. Staying with the undergroup rap, Count Bass D turns up on a couple of tracks (‘XL’ is the one) and Grap Luva and Kev Brown feature on ‘Thought Process’.

Just as good are their own beats, especially the jazzy ‘A Song’ and ‘We Got Music’ together with ‘A Prophetic Dream’ and ‘Chalk It Up’.

Peterson played ‘Green Like The Sun’ that features the ever brilliant Bembe Seque; who, as much as anyone, is a beacon for the best of the underground scene. This track is coming out on a 12” with ‘Highway’ (that gets a mix by bad boy DJ Simbad) and features Detroit’s leading funkster, Amp Fiddler.

I’m still coming to terms with getting the last ever Straight No Chaser this week but you’ll spot the instantly recognisable ‘fine art’ graf cover is by, I suppose we must now say, former Straight No No Chaser illustrator, Mitch.

With Breakthrough, Gav Smith has dug out the beats that we love with the seal of production by Nik Weston’s and Gilles Peterson’s favourite twisted jap hip hoppin’ Jazzy Sport; they of DJ Mitsu The Beats fame, Japanese home of Sa-Ra Creative Partners and Shibuya Record Store (as frequented by Tim Deluxe and many others).

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Finger Funk’, ‘Not Tomorrow But’, ‘A Song’, ‘Green Like The Sun’, ‘Chalk It Up’, ‘This Way Before’. ‘XL’

Reviewed: Breakthrough — Breakthrough (Pantone Music) Cat. NO. PANCD004 Release date: 24th September 2007

Links:
www.pantonemusic.com
www.straightnochaser.co.uk Last ever issue Summer 2007
Gilles Peterson :: Thursday 7 June :: GP’s Trans-Europe Express Mix
Breakthrough ft Bembe Segue — ‘Green Like the Sun’ (Pantone)
www.myspace.com/bembesegue
www.jneirojarel.com
The Art of Mitchy Bwoy — Thursday 16th August from 6pm at the Art Vinyl Gallery. Mitch has carved a niche in what he calls ‘Hip Hop Surrealism’ and over the last 10 years his work has become synonymous with musicans such as Amp Fiddler, Bugz in the Attic, The Bees and many others. This unique exhibition runs for two weeks at the Art Vinyl Gallery and then in Manchester for one month.