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Review: 'HI-FI SEAN'
'Ft. Excursions'   

-  Label: 'Plastique'
-  Genre: 'Dance' -  Release Date: '22nd April 2017'

Our Rating:
Especially for RSD on 22nd April is this limited white vinyl pressing of some dubbed out reworks from his acclaimed 'Ft.' Album from 2016 (Hi-Fi Sean Record Collector review.

That album featured some amazing collaborations with the likes of Yoko Ono, Crystal Waters, Bootsy Collins, Alan Vega and the list goes on. The remixers include Azaxx, Severino, Yam Who? And Honey Soundsystem and it makes for an intoxicating and stellar cast on this record. This is the little sister after party to the original release and whilst it might have been designed for the wee small hours it sounds 24/7 to me.

'Monday Morning Sunshine' sets things off with a sunset dub as man-made lighting kicks the twilight in. It is a word you could use to describe the whole album but it's proper lush. Percussive, Balearic and chill but enough rhythm to get the feet tapping. 'Atomium' encases Bootsy Collins in a wraparound dub and safe in his cocoon he just grooves on down, "let me see you wiggle baby". 'Like Josephine Baker' (David McAlmont vocal) is four minutes long so do not go to the bar, get on the floor! With some lovely horn stabs it's an upbeat number and reminds me of Saint Etienne circa 'So Tough'. Side one rounds out with '18th' Ft. Norman Blake which has a gospel tinged feel reminiscent, I guess, of 'Screamadelica'.

Big single 'Testify' (Crystal Waters) kicks off side two and it is not difficult to see why this one is setting fire to the charts. Bubbling acid, unmistakeable vocals, this track got more grit than a highway diner. Yoko follows and she does so with a Yam Who? re-work, and whilst it doesn't necessarily set the world on fire it does what it says on the tin. It is clearly in love with life and the combination of spoken word vocals (from an icon) and a familiar house pattern works wonders for me.

The Alan Vega track is up next and I guess it stands out from most of the other tracks, possibly because of the male vocals but it is also less of a party track. It is not beat led and the vocals are quite high in the mix and it seems to suffer in comparison to the others.

The final track on the album is 'You're just another song' Ft. Little Annie 'Anxiety' Bandez and again it is spoken word from a cultural icon. She could be reading the shopping list for all I care, it would still work for me. It's beats down, bontempi percussion and strings up and then we're done. If you happen to be looking for an electronic album to carry you through the highs and (inevitably wet) lows of a British summer then make sure you stick this one in the record bag come Saturday.


Hi-Fi Sean Record Store Day
  author: Leo Newbiggin

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HI-FI SEAN - Ft. Excursions