Reviews
Bad Colours PINK
Bastard Jazz
RECOMMENDED
After over ten years of servicing dancefloors as a much-respected DJ, including his much-loved New York residencies, London-born, Maryland-raised, Brooklynbased DJ and producer Ibe Soliman unveils his groovy, sensual debut album as Bad Colours. Drawing equal influence from both sides of The Atlantic, he combines early US house and ’90s UK garage, along with jazz, funk, soul, ’90s R&B and modern, deep house with consummate ease. Shuffling rhythms, deep, rolling bass, warm, stretched-out pads, sleek synths and ghetto-funk vocals provide the backbone of this strutting, rolling record. It is laidback, easygoing and refined, but also packs weight in the bottom end. The grooves are deep and visceral and the bass gets full and guttural in parts, elevating proceedings into dancefloor territory at times. Away from the floor, the record also gets offbeat and sensual, sweeping us along for the ride as hazy, pastel atmospheres swirl in the background and seductive, cosy hooks bring us right in. The whole record has a bustling energy and sense of momentum that propels us forward, but it is the sideways sketches into jazz, soul and funk that inject the album with personality and vibe. Carried off with real swagger and verve, PINK is the perfect snapshot of a DJ/producer with an innate ability to awaken people’s lust to let loose.