Review: Various - Fermented Grooves Vol 3 (Stereo Ferment)

If you can't have an illicit groove, the next best thing is some fermeted grooves as Stereo Ferment's compilation series reaches Vol. 3.
The annual release from the Toronto HQ where head honchos Oreku and Coy Haste have tweaked and jared (is that a word?) these appearently random tracks to a ferment for added dancefloor grooviness.

As we've just had WOMAD(UK), there's no better time to release a worldly funk-disco-dancee compilation with influences from Afrobeat, flamenco, disco, funk and all inbetween in a mere 10 tracks.

Watch out for Hiatt dB (is that the same lot that had a 12" on South London's Rhythm Section Internatonal) who go all Dakari on 'Safari' and not far behind, get into the rainforest beats of Salvador Ricardo's 'Heumbelo' but mind you're head on the 70s disco ball.

And if you've got an ear for this type of thing, you'll be aware of The Patchouli Brothers who've got a reputation for an edit themselves having had releases on Razor'n'tape, Defected, Soundway, G.A.M.M. and the like - 'War And Peace' is a track for our times; pouding beats and disco synths to the front; a fine alternative to Edwin Starr if you ever need one.

Toucan Discos' 'Future' is more positive in message and in more of an eighties synth pop Depeche Mode meets José Feliciano battle whilst Dacou's 'Nach Ke' is very much in the trendy Middle Eastern Batov/Habibi Funk teritory.  There's even a touch of Indo/Arabian nights ('Lament')

This is a real feet mover of a collection, even the "NaNaNa" of 'Little Fly' (Oreku) will have the afternoon rave kids on alert - watch out for the really naughty word that'll have 'em rolling on the floor.

And does Souldade's 'Kekiyah' embody all of the above?

Many thanks to DJ Bob Hill (and his Illicit Grooves) for pointing this one out to us and note that this release is a Bandcamp only download.

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Fermented Grooves Vol 3 

Release date: 3rd August, 2023

Label : Stereo Ferment

Catalog Number : SF012 Digital / ONLY available on Bandcamp