The 28th Devil CD

Having been a star on Brighton-based label Tru Thoughts for over seven years now, Flevans has built up a global fanbase through his three studio albums. The last of these, 27 Devils, saw him ditch his trusty sample collection and go 100% live and now as an accompaniment, he's dropped The 28th Devil which collects remixes and reworkings of that set and more. It's a seriously funky affair, with loads of it aimed straight at the dancefloor. <br>
The new mix of 27 Devils sets the tone nicely, balancing pacey live drums and brass perfectly. All To Play For is a rare moment of downtempo intensity on the album, but Flevans uses Shona Foster's vocal to maximum effect by building it up from a whisper quiet start. Bamboos' vocalist Kylie Auldist also appears on the album and gives some serious soul power on One Goodbye, which gets a tight reworking by Flevans.<br>
The funk flows further on his mix of Ez A Divat's These People, which captures some vintage New Orleans-style drumming, and on Second Bite which has a Ska flavour complete with some backbeat-riding brass hits. Hold On takes the bpm's down a bit to a cool mid-tempo swing, and has a classic feel that makes you wish all pop music sounded this perfect.<br>
Flevan's own material gets the once over from some notable names like Regal, who adds a cheeky sample from Les McCann's Harlem Buck Dance Strut onto the brilliant Lay Back, and from Azaxx who tastefully chops up Hold No Water and adds some bottom-end for good measure. Probably the most drastic overhaul though comes from Budapest duo Vono Box, who marry the vocal from Hold On with a slinky 50's big band sample straight from the Henry Mancini school of Exotica. A weird but wonderful mix that definitely needs to be heard!<br>
This is another essential Tru Thoughts release, and just what you'd expect from such a distinctive label and artist.