Soul Clap - R&B Edits

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  • Whether or not a rehash of someone else's work is deserving of review is debatable, however when you consider the inescapably ubiquitous popularity of the Wolf & Lamb extended family, and the stupefying delirium their edits series invariably inspires, Soul Clap's latest instalment is at least a good talking point. Very much in keeping with the "stick a kick drum on it!" philosophy of Hot Natured and others, "Extravaganza" is that Jamie Foxx and Kanye West track of the same name with, well, a kick drum on it. I can already hear the cries of retaliation; "What are you talking about? This is genius!" Except it's not. It's lazy. Yes, it's catchy enough. (It should be. It's taken from a platinum-selling album only five years old.) And its inclusion in an early-morning set will no doubt induce a unison of gurning grins. But wasn't the charm of the re-edit all about unearthing that forgotten gem, cutting the crap and dropping a time-bomb on modern sensibility? Otherwise, I guess it's just a good pop tune with a kick drum on it. Things take a turn for the creepy on the B-side when all-but-convicted paedophile, R. Kelly, and his "Sex in the Kitchen" are given the four-to-the-floor treatment. OK, so taken out of context it's another harmless enough pop track, but perhaps it would have been slightly more palatable had they chosen, say, Craig David's weekly love-making schedule as their subject matter. There's nothing more to it than the acknowledgement: "Yes, this is R. Kelly with a straight beat." Lonnie Liston Smith's "Dreams of Tomorrow" is the pick of the bunch because it harbours a smidgen of genuine soul, even if the tried-and-tested technique abides. The rise and rise of Wolf, Lamb, et al. is not without good reason; I'm just not certain that reason is their prowess as re-editors.
  • Tracklist
      A Extravaganza B1 Sex in the Kitchen B2 Dreams of Tomorrow
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