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No only is he not a musical recluse as Recloose (aka Matthew Chicoine and formerly of Carl Craig’s Planet E label and the Innerzone Orchestra) continues to collaborate with Joe Dukie (we all remember their modern classic, ‘Dust’ from 2005) and other vocal talents such as Tyna and Jonathan Crayford.

What with is own background in making dance music, a permanently in-demand DJ and a very selective remixer of choice (as with Azymuth), Recloose’s Perfect Timing masters the art of “dance beat-led, neo-world music” that’s influence by Latin rhythms, funk and big club bangers.

Big like ‘Robop’. Big like ‘Emotional Funk’, Rick Jamesque at top speed with some great vocals by Tyna. That’s Mr. Tyna Keelan to you and me who features on two more of the top tracks on the album. Like the story of ‘The Sanctuary’ (obviously a Club and not a rehab centre) and the ‘Dust’ like, tongue in cheek of ‘So Cool’ (it must be said that Jonathan Crayford’s command of the 70s funk keyboard on this track and the rest of the album is tremendous).

You want horns? Oh! he’s got them on the ‘neo-world’ ‘Solomon’s Alive’ (for more Solomon influences, see Art Of Vibration with a jazz-skat by Marcelo Pretto and the single, ‘Deeper Waters’. ‘Deeper Waters’ is the one that features Joe Dukie and by now the mood is very Pacific mellow (for a different take on this, the Yes King remix is on the latest Best Seven Selections compilation and Eva Be’s on Secret Love 5; all required listening pleasure).

And if you’re after a track for the nike ipod running mixtape, ‘Red Road’ is an ideal mid-run jazzy catch your breath track that features Justin Chapman, Genevieve Marentette (who was also on Recloose’s Cardiology album) and Kid Sublime (on handclaps; Kid Sublime recently release a single ‘Own World’ which we like with an album to follow).

Genevieve and Justin also team up on the broken-go-go-jazz-funk ‘Can It Be’ and the opener, ‘Catch A Leaf’ is more soulful side of West London and features the vocals of Rachel Frasier (who also end the album with ‘Daydream’).

Relcoose hasn’t given up on Detroit based techno (see ‘Maui’s Lament’ on Rush Hour Recordings) but even then, there’s something very un-recloose about what he does as the funk reaches out through the bass bins. As Derrick May says, “Recloose is in a class of his own”. Can it be that Perfect Timing is an album to last a lifetime, yes it can!

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Emotional Funk’, ‘The Sanctuary’, ‘Solomon’s Alive’, ‘Can It Be’, ‘Deeper Waters’, ‘So Cool’, ‘Robot’.

Reviewed: Recloose - Perfect Timing (Sonar Kollektiv) Cat. No. SK191CD Release date 22nd September 2008
Tracklisting
1 Catch A Leaf 3:08
2 Robop 4:18
3 Can It Be 4:37
4 So Cool 4:56
5 Solomon’s Alive 6:08
6 Emotional Funk 4:02
7 Red Road 5:46
8 The Sanctuary 6:18
9 Deeer Waters 5:46
10 Daydream 3:40

Links
www.recloose.com
www.myspace.com/mattchicoine
www.last.fm/music/Recloose
www.sonarkollektiv.com
Justin Chapman www.myspace.com/xenithjust
http://genevievesings.com
www.loop.co.nz