African Blues – Word Sound Power

In honour of Ron Trent, who hits La Cheetah in Glasgow this Friday for a five-hour set, here’s a personal favourite from his sprawling back catalogue. Released in 1998 on Clairaudience, this collaboration with Anthony Nicholson manages to stay just the right side of the bongo-heavy noodling that can mar a lot of his post-Prescription output, with a solid, organ-and-synth-fuelled groove that harks back to the glory days. The A-side version has a vocal which I can take or leave, but the B-side dub I’ve posted here is a real killer. Engineered by Matt Warren and mastered by Francois K, it builds beautifully and sounds immaculate, especially on a big system.