Journeys By DJ - Norman Jay Desert Island Mix

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  • Part two in the Desert Island mix series, following on the very successful volume by Gilles Peterson, comes a superb selection from Norman Jay, or rather, Sir Norman Jay for his first official mix. From the funk and groove of the Windy City Theme by Carl Davis and his Chi Sound Orchestra which kicks things off, Norman's mix takes on hip hop with the likes of Red Cloud on Afro Latin Concrete, early 80's electro breakbeat - peep the frenetic breaks on the ironically titled Calm Down paying homage to the 'Huh?' break from The Commodores' Assembly Line and the tastier Breakin' In Space by Key Matic for that 80's R&B, hip hop and scratching all in one - all the way to classic and more recent disco tunes by the likes of the Ballistic Brothers. Just like his Good Times mixes, the strength of his selections rely on pulling out some rare and perhaps unheard grooves from his record box, and adding them to the mix. Call me a newbie but until I heard this mix, the booty, blaxploitation funk of Voices Of East Harlem and the sounds of Anorax Trax on Jammin' To The End Of Time have eluded me (even though the latter seems to be the inspiration of a Black Eyed Peas tune). Better yet, being able to sit with the likes of Hall & Oates' laidback funk Maneater shows that even the more radio friendly tunes have an element of funk in them. Highly listenable, and perfect for lounging around the house, grooving down the street or for when those nostalgic moments arise. Seems mixes like this are hard to come by nowadays as it's usually all about the latest of the latest club chart toppers. Why Desert Island mix you ask? According to JDJ folk lore, both DJ's were asked to select the tunes they'd want to have if they were stranded on a Desert Island... and Norman Jay is doing what he does best - pulling out the rarest of rare grooves from his crates.
RA