VA - If Music presents: You Need This! An Introduction to the Handson Family (BBE Music)

This compilation is very hectic heavy as If Music... has an introduction to a couple of Brixton's finest Cyndi & Christian, aka the Handson Family.

After 'If... Music presents You Need This' (see review HERE) and the extension to 'An Introduction To Klinkhamer Records' (see review HERE), the series goes local to the eclectic taste of these two stalwarts of Brixton Market and supports of many of YATM's friends and family and if there is a focus to the 14 tracks, it's a Golden Era of artists emerging into Worldwide (Gilles Peterson)  acknowledgement with a Futuristica Music - South London axis.

Starting with Emanative's 'We Travel The Spacebeats' (Futuristica Music, 2009), Brixton's favourite and much missed TY (RIP) 'Dreams' setting the scene for two summer big 'uns; P'taah's 'Staring At The Sun' (2002/3) and Xantoné Blacq's 'Search For The Sun (Platinum Remix)' (2003); also included is MckNasty's 'Sundown'

And around this time, the voice of Koop's hit, 'Waltz For Koop', Cecilia Stalin was very busy on the broken beat scene and 'CPW' is a prefect example of the mix of West London and jazz skat.  And talking of West London(?), New Zealand's jazz-NSM-esque 'Hangers On' by The Nabatean needs a higher profile thanks to its inclusion here.

And talking of which, Ian O'Brien's 'Love Beams' certain owes some debt to Lonnie Liston Smith's chill out and then Outside's 'Moodswing' was originally released in the mid-1990s; perhaps overlooked at the time by Galliano but as they've reformed, perhaps Outside should consider? 

Shur-I-Kan has released many a great track either on his own or in collaborations but 'Bedtime Stories' is another 'lost' track that you need in your box.

Cyndi and Christian are clearly deep diggers that are happy to share their music love and knowledge. I remember when the Handson's guested at the Jazz Chronicles session back in the day and Cyndi was championing a compilation that had just come out at the time; it's now our time to spread the word about this expertly selected double LP - as they say, "You Need This!"

Artist: Various Artists 

Title:  If Music presents: You Need This! An Introduction to the Handson Family

Release date: 27th September, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE

Format: 2xLP / Digital / Bandcamp 

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