Originally Published: 2002-06-02

This is a very welcome reissue of a classic DJ mix from 1995 that has been out of print for several years, commanding collector's prices since then. In 1995 Coldcut's hip-hop empire was spreading its influence through their label Ninja Tune, the club night Stealth and their Solid Steel radio show (now online). Coldcut's Journeys By DJ release was the eighth in the series, paying tribute to James Brown and other '70s rare groovers with their classic breaks cut-ups and similar contributions from Americans Mantronix and Masters At Work. Also feeling the groove were techno producers Richie Hawtin (as Plastikman) and George Lucas' least favourite group, the Jedi Knights, who sampled Zapp's '80's hit "More Bounce To The Ounce" in their plugged-in electro-funk. But what sealed Coldcut's reputation as forward-looking DJs were the inspired spoken word (Flip Wilson, Jello Biafra), a Capella (Junior Reid, Jhelisa) and chill-out moments amongst the funky beats. About half way through there is a timeless sequence featuring Joanna Law's beautiful singing of "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" over quiet moments from Luke Slater and Eno's favourite ambient pianist, Harold Budd, that leads into a nice acoustic downtempo vibe from Photek. Coldcut's pioneering vision of beats and chill still sounds great today!

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