Office Listening: Moodymann

Image: Moodymann

There's few figures as enigmatic in electronic music as Kenny Dixon Jr. The man better known to fans of sleazy house and techno as Moodymann has been a celebrated presence on the turntables of aficionados across the globe since the early nineties, bringing his raw grooves out of Detroit firstly only via vinyl. He's never compromised on his vision of what house and techno should be, distinctly black and infused with soul at every juncture.

Earlier this year a self titled album came out as a collection of material both released and unreleased music which embodied his recent work - you can stream it above on Spotify. It gets to grips with the differing shades of Moodymann's output, from the delightful and melancholy 'Lyk U Use 2', featuring former Slum Village rapper turned house producer extraordinaire Andres, straight up to the narcissistic funk of 'No'.

It's all interspersed with a series of skits and archive recordings, framing Moodymann's threadbare story and an obvious homage to Detroit. That emerges with the Funakedlic referencing 'Sloppy Cosmic', a near twelve minute opus lamenting the industrial turmoil wreaked upon the city. If you want an introduction to this most alluring of electronic artists, this collection is the perfect entrance.

We'd also hotly recommend you catch the man DJing too, a storm of the same palette of influences that permeate his productions ensconced in the same lavish house and techno grooves. He'll be bringing this seismic funk to Sankeys Manchester on Friday 14th March for an epic Music is Love party, a label we looked at earlier in the year.

He'll be joined by Levon Vincent, Wbeeza, Delano Smith and many more for a tour de force throuh the finer edges of house and techno at the Manchester rave emporium. Head here for ticketing details.

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