Lately I’ve happened to catch a lot of documentaries on the beginnings of “rock and roll” on TV, and have come to realise that if there was no Blues, there would be no popular music. There would be no rock and roll, no soul, no funk, no hiphop and no dance music. If there were no Blues, with its brash voices and deep rhythms, we’d still be pumping the wind and strings of Heinrich Backofen and Peter Lichtenthal out of our cars, and dropping tabs of ecstasy to the Big Band sounds to bands with names like “Fred Hall’s Swing Thing” and “The Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra”.

Bringing Blues full circle, this compilation of blues inspired beats featuring some of today’s best producers such as RJD2, Amon Tobin, Müm and St Germain. Ranging in style from drum and bass sounds of Phoneheads ‘Maracanenses’ to the more disco styles of St Germain’s ‘Alabama Blues’, from the hiphop beats of Cujo’s (Amon Tobin) ‘Curfew’, to the lounge styles of Dzihan and Kamien’s ‘Dundadeova’, this album has music to suit all moods, and shows that Blues and Soul can be enjoyed whether chillin’ out with the home stereo playing softly, or up front dancing in a club.

This is a beautiful album that will introduce the lovers of dance to the Blues, and lovers of Blues to the dance side of the tracks. Those like me who enjoy hearing blends of styles will absolutely love it! Purists may not like it, and fob it off, but true purists should also be aware that if it weren’t for the early Blues performers experimenting in the early days, there would be no modern music as we know it today.