Erstwhile Dodge City member and current luminary of the UK urban soul vanguard I.G. Culture enjoys nudging the musical envelope.
His debut album under the NSM (New Sector Movements) moniker 2001's "Download This" - nudged a little too hard however: the onslaught of noodlesome grooves and cranky beats proving a touch too ethereal/cerebral for many in the clubbing fraternity.
"Turn It Up", his second outing under the moniker, redresses the balance with gleeful dynamism, dispersing duly with the elasticated George Duke/Roy Ayers influences in favour of a more laconic style - succinct headnods, crisp ragga rubs, jittery broken beats and brimming, deviant Garage.
The unapologetic cross genre approach gets underway immediately, as we make the transition from the hot fudge soul of opener "Something" to the undiluted digi-ragga kick of "Big It Up", which comes firin' straight out the deeper London underground that has been Culture's training ground for the last decade or so.
With barely a pause for breath, the title cut swaggers out the speakers next, like some giant sewer-beast, blasting rugged London chatter over waves of ferocious, trunk-shakin' bass.
From here on in, things keep on getting better. Take a deep breath and fast-forward to the wild, microchip fetishism of "Digital Age", where a Prince sound-a-like verbally gyrates over swathes of broken garage digital psychedelia.
Or check out the more 'straight-up' broken-beat tunes – "Broken" and "Tryin' Times" are two of them. Trimmed of IG's occasional abstract floridity, they are revealed infectious confections; crunchy skeletons draped with silk suits of natty soul.
For the calmer moments on the LP - of which there are just enough - IG doffs his cap to the Jay Dee school of just-ripe snares and fathoms-deep sub-bass. "Sho You Right", "Soon Come" and "She's Got Soul" are suitably seductive but maintain an edginess that's in keeping with the rest of the document.
Having successfully mined the innermost depths of the UK underground, IG has put together nothing less than a persuasive blueprint for the future of modern soul. Possibly the most coherent and life-affirming statement to emerge from the UK since "Club Classics Vol 1" or "Blue Lines" it's an undeniable triumph for British urban music.
by Paul Sullivan