Bamboos – You Ain’t No Good review

The soul-drenched ‘You Ain’t No Good’ was nailed on to become a future single from The Bamboos latest album 4, and the Australian funk stars have enlisted a crack squad of DJs and producers to deliver an awesome set of remixes to complement it.

Probably the most high profile man tasked with retooling the eight-piece is Dj Yoda, who rejigs the instrumental ‘Up On The Hill’, keeping it pacy by scratching the famous ‘Kool Is Back’ beat by Funk Inc while swooping strings and sitars pick out a brilliant Eastern melody.

Randomer, on a solo mission after his recent collaborations with Fife, seems to be getting funkier with every release at the moment – his mix of ‘Keep Me In Mind’ rocks some bouncing kicks and bass while the brass and vocals from the original are layered perfectly over the top.

Tru Thoughts’ Flevans also does wonders with ‘Keep Me In Mind’, keeping the tempo similar to the original but adding a depth to the drums that seriously impresses. The backing is kept deliberately simple and the long, strung-out chords make the vocals shine through.

With instrumentals available of all the mixes, and an acapella of ‘You Ain’t No Good’ also up for grabs for the remix-heads, this is an essential release for Dj’s and funk fans alike.

Review by Oli Keens