Runnin' Pizza CD

If you pay little attention to the Japanese scene, Grooveman Spot may have passed you by. While European and US listeners may know him best for last year's sneakily discofied deep house release on MCDE ("Looking For You"), the Tokyo-based DJ/producer has almost a decade's worth of releases behind him. Runnin' Pizza is his third album, following two acclaimed sets of wonky hip-hop experiments and dayglo dancefloor grooves. This time round he's decided to go for a more house-heavy feel, utilising jazz, hip-hop, electrofunk, disco and electronica influences to pep up his dancefloor-friendly 4/4 flavours. The slow acid/electrofunk throb of "Chocolate Funk" is a particular delight, and recalls the similarly slow-but-heavy workouts of Eglo mainstay FunkinEven. Elsewhere, the Japanese producer turns his hand to smacked-out Balearic beats ("32 Midnight"), cosmic head-nodders ("Take Back"), Idjuts-ish dub disco ("Don't Need") and slick 80s grooves ("Ur Love") - all with equally impressive results. If you're unfamiliar with the Grooveman Spot sound, do yourself a favour and check this out - you won't be disappointed.