If your dance music preferences stretch a bit further than the main room at Cream on a Saturday night, and you find a Wednesday night in with Gilles Peterson's radio show essential listening, then Mr Duplaix could be the DJ for you.
Although this album doesn't show mixing to be one of his strong points (most of the tracks are linked together with vocoder inserts and simple stops and starts, rather than mammoth ten minute mixes), the Philly based DJ/musician/producer/vocalist more than compensates with the tracklisting.
His selection may, also, not be an impressive list of rare and unheard of tracks - he includes the likes of Herbert's 'You Saw It All' and 4hero's 'Hold It Down' - but it nevertheless finds him making some smart and discerning a&r decisions.
With a strong undercurrent of free-flowing jazz and true instrumentation, plus a future feel of broken beats, Duplaix manages to create a tasteful mix that should stand the test of time. Stick it on in a few years and it will sound equally as fresh.
As well as the aforementioned tracks he includes Shawn lee's tried, tested and very successful 'Happiness'; an astounding live version of Erykah Badu's 'Bag Lady'; Waiwan's trippy 'Feelin Me Feelin You' and the wonderful Spacek's 'How Do I Move'.
A quality mix unlike any other you are likely to hear this year, chosen by a man with taste, and destined to keep the DJ Kicks phenomenon going strong.
