The FSOJ series has been seminal in getting a certain kind of music known to the masses.
Unlike many compilations this one just seems to get better and better and has become known as a kind of blueprint for future directions in jazz, broken beat, soul, house and whatever other genre boundaries they choose to blur.
Continuing the loose anything-goes-so-long-as-it's-soulful-and-musical theme, we get here tunes from Moonstarr, Shawn Lee, Dan Curtin, Jon Kennedy, The Underwolves, Attica Blues, Atjazz and Soulpatrol among others.
Amazingly, this eighth in the series is just as impressive - perhaps even more so - than the first few have been.
There's some serious phuture music bizznizz here, starting with Soulpatrol's beautifully organic and chameleon-like 'Theme' where vocalist Marlene Johnson tells us that: 'Our bags are packed with jazz…freedom, means rhythm, means passion, inspiration…that drives us and everyone else that's searchin'.'
A doe-eyed yet apt description for the musical adventurers connected with this series for sure. After this scene is set, everyone takes advantage. Moonstar's 'Dust' is a crazy, ball-busting broken hip hop jazz burner complete with 'oh-no-the-CD-is-stuck' style vocal stutters.
Ashley Beedle adds more sunshine to Shawn Lee's Hammond fuelled 'Happiness'. Recloose's cosmic mix of stargazer Dan Curtin's 'Spaceman' is machine soul at it's best. Atjazz, as ever, is on point with his warm electronic narratives on 'Wrong Type Of Day', and ex graf writer Kaos steps up with a jazzafied soundscape that's dark in tone but rich in form. Another excellent comp from a truly pioneering label.
