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9 out of 10
Well, where to start? Mattafix are a West Indian/London/Indian duo who have travelled 30 countries (And still counting) to tour over the last two and a half years, and who truly embrace the idea of a global sound. However, when I say "global sound", I don't mean it in the stereotypical sense - I mean mixes of reggae, zulu chanting, Brooklyn hip-hop and steel drums. But please don't let this put you off - this album really is a delight to listen to.
Opening track "Shake Your Limbs" has the perfect balance of hip-hop beats, but with an almost ethereal underlying tone that would fit perfectly into an Air album. The lyrics are meaningful without being pretentious, and with so many obvious influences, Mattafix have still created a fairly unique sound.
"Living Darfur" is where the almost 'tribal' singing comes into play, and it musters such a wholesome sound that I'm completely enthralled from start to finish.
I could quite easily go through each and every track here, describing the brilliance that teases your senses, but it really does need to be heard to be believed.
"In the Background" takes a soulful approach to the already winning combination that has been served up in previous tracks and it's done to perfection, whilst "Got to Lose" takes an almost Jay-Z spin to the approach, with a more rock based beat, but still keeping their original core sound.
After listening to all 11 tracks, I sense a bit of repetition amongst them, but it's not boring, which is actually fairly refreshing. The magic that Mattafix have crafted here is impossible to convey with any decency with just words. It's a wholesome sound, with so much originality, that all I can say is that you really need to give this duo a listen. There's the elegant simplicity of Zero 7, mixed with the hard-hitting familiar sounds of the likes of Jay-Z, alongside the chilled nature of Ziggy Marley. Awesome.
Listen: www.myspace.com/mattafix
Tracklist:
1. Shake Your Limbs
2. Living Darfur
3. Angel
4. In The Background
5. Things Have Changed
6. Stranger Forever
7. Freeman
8. Got To Lose
9. In My Life
10. Memories of Soweto
11. Far From Over
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