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Even though I got the 12”, Blue Experience and the Hip Hop Connection cover disc giveaway, Raiders Of The Lost Mix, it’s taken a while for me to get into this album. And I’ve no idea why as it’s excellent.

Perhaps it’s the over egging of the duo of Jawwaad and Jneiro Jarel with all Jarel’s aliases (Dr. Who Dat?, Panama Black, Rocque Wun) but we’ve not come across a bad collaboration with this guy (see Breakthrough, Rich Medina or being included on Witness Future Vintage or the Rocque Wun remix of ‘Dust’.

Better late than never then as this is the spirit of Madvillain’s Madvillainy and Daedelus’ Equisite Corpse. In fact, ‘It Ain’t Dead!!’ is very Daedelus and the subject? You’ll be pleased to know, jazz ain’t dead, “they lied to you”.

Also very Daedelus-like are the guests here, Lil’ Sci, Count Bass D and MF Doom. However, some of the other tracks stand out like, ‘Light Years Away’ and ‘Solo (Underwater)’ that features friend of Fly, Deborah Jordan!

This album is so good you’d expect it to be on Stones Throw, Kindred Spirit or Ninja Tune, but it’s on Lex Records (currently on a high with the success of Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip’s ‘The Beat That My Heart Skipped’).

Next week, Gilles Peterson is interviewing Jneiro Jarel that should be well worth a listen. Along with this week’s Heavy Hitters special on The Ethiopiques compilaton series and Soil & “Pimp” Session live with Jamie Cullum! It goes without saying, all highly recommended.

Reviewed: Shape Of Broad Minds — Craft Of The Lost Art (Lex Records) Cat. No. LEX 052 CD Release date: 28 Aug 2007 Artwork by www.Ehquestionmark.com
Tracklisting:
1 Gorilla Mash
2 Light Years Away
3 Let’s Go Featuring MF Doom
4 Changes
5 Nahuma (Interlude) Speech by Nahuma Holiday
6 Opr8r
7 Buddafly Away
8 Unnamed
9 It Lives On Featuring Count Bass D
10 So Much (Chaos) Featuring Lil Sci aka John Robinson
11 Buzz Around Town
12 They Don’t Know Featuring Stacy Epps
13 Bopper Blocker
14 Electric Blue
15 Mermaid
16 It Ain’t Dead!!
17 Beast From Da East
18 Lullabanger (Thelonious Dedication)
19 Viberian Sun
20 There 4 Me
21 Stiff Robots And Drunken Horses
22 Solo (Underwater) Featuring Deborah Jordan
23 12c Featuring Aahtue aka Alix Da Great

Links:
www.myspace.com/shapeofbroadminds
www.lexrecords.com
www.myspace.com/mfdoom
www.daedelusdarling.com
Gilles Peteson :: Tracklisting 08.11.07 :: Jneiro Jarel in conversation with GP