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If you’re anything like me, when Westwood sat in for Gilles Peterson the other week with the Westwood’s Top 25 Hip Hop Albums Of All Time show, you can’t help thinking that our Tim is so obvious.

While In Heavy Weather might not be an ‘all-time’ top album, it certainly isn’t obvious. So to my way of thinking, mixing up musical styles to the extent that Weather Report sound like they’ve been remixed with The Imagined Village and Daedelus with Roots Manuva joining in the fun, you’re going to love it.

It starts with last years’ single ‘Cheshire Cat’ and the massive jazz-cat ‘The Rambler’ and the ethnic influenced ‘Keeper Of The Flame’. And that’s just the first three tracks!

Not at all sure what ‘Dah’ Quinta’ is about but it’s a scary world that MC Esha envisages; makes the Jellybass and Abodominal 12” seem very normal. ‘Neverous’ also finds out some dark corners of a broken spiritual jazz beat with a flute break. It’s in the area of Breakin’ Bread (Natural Self, Lack Of Afro, Color Climax, Ghost, etc) and all the other guys this side of the pond on the soulful funk instrumental tip; and then again, ‘Minds I’ comes in “check the man La La, sounds gay doesn’t he?”

Mark Ford releaseed his debut album last year as Merka (called Beserka) and he was acclaimed then as a producer ahead of the game and he’s only gone and enhanced his reputation with this collaboration with MC Eshamanjaro (who apparently took time out from his studies for a PHD in Philosophy of Mental Disorder!) Like I say, it’s not obvious but it’s bloody good.

Reviewed: Mystic Man & Eshaman Jaro — In Heavy Weather (Fat! Records) Cat. No.: CTFATCD009 Release date: 19th May 2008 Artwork by Louise O’Donnell
Tracklisting:
1 Cheshire Cat (4:54)
2 The Rambler (3:32)
3 Keeper Of The Flame (4:11)
4 Dah’ Qunita (2:08)
5 AD1263 (3:52)
6 Dust (4:29)
7 Off It (3:15)
8 New Jack Swing (2:32)
9 Nervous (4:03)
10 Minds I (4:25)
11 Caterpillar Skank (0:52)
12 Lowley Conqueror (4:55)
13 Bonus Track (3:17)

Links:
www.merka.co.uk
www.myspace.com/mymerka
In Heavy Weather at Last.fm
www.thefatclub.com Chew The Fat! @ The End, Friday, 9th May: We Love … Chew The Fat! with Riton, Meat Katie, Alex Metric, Jem Haynes, Kid Blue and Jung
www.myspace.com/fatrecords
Gilles Peterson :: Thursday 10th April 2008 :: Westwood’s Top 25 Hip Hop Albums Of All Time