Review: Jimi Tenor and Tony Allen 'Inspiration Information 4'

The Strut 'Inspiration Information' series has been, on the whole, a pretty good. Effectively, it's a chance for cool oldsters to team up with hip young(ish) producers and musicians. If you search our lovely website, we've reviewed the entire series... and the latest is collab is between Joe90 Warpist, Jimi Tenor and Tony Allen, drummer and musical director for Fela Kuti.

There's no hiding from the fact that these releases are achingly hip. However, however knocked their brains around when teaming up people, they hit on some gold. By and large, the results have been well worth a listen and, at some point in the future, they'll make for a very admirable boxset.

This suite of noises sees kitsch electronics and flutes melding together with afro-funk, some straight-out, splayed out on the floor, others weird, off-kilter and exotic.

It would be fair to assume that a collection like this could be pretty impenetrable, but the reality is a set that is very easy on the ear and filled with sneaky little horny grooves that bubble away in your blood.

There's some raps on that may make hip-hop aficionados baulk a little, as we're not dealing with firebrand skillz or flowing insight... however... the words contained are pretty fun, especially 'Path To Wisdom' with its riffs on secret leaders of the world and the Bilderberg group, chatting nicely over hot jazz and Tortoise style One Man Band On A Bike Going Down A Cobbled Street jams.

I guess the only thing to be said against this LP is that I couldn't help but feel that, at times, I was sitting in some vegan's student halls bedroom on a Friday night in 1999. It's a bit Throws-And-A-Nosering, you know what I mean?

That said, it's another decent cut that brings a section of music that can be far-removed from the average record buyer and for that alone, it's worth giving props to. It's a fun, accessible route into the heart of Africa without having to deal with Damon Albarn. And you can dance to it. [Roman Clef]