The market is flooded with digital artist albums and V/A compilations on vinyl. I’ve talked to a few people about the latter and the consensus seems to be that grouping tracks together is often a way to get out good music by people whose name alone can’t convince distributors, shop buyers or customers to stock a record. That doesn’t mean they’re bad, but it can mean that what you’re hearing is shaped by the market in ways a 4 track vinyl EP isn’t. Digging through them can be a chore – sometimes you have to push through three or four tracks to get to one that really shines.
But occasionally you get a really cool series that has more than material reasons for its existence and I think Excursions fits the bill. The five year old vinyl-only series from Phuture Shock Musik blends up-and-coming with established artists, and isn’t even consistently a V/A. It’s a series that feels curated, a selection rather than an amalgamation. And that’s probably why it’s superior to most V/As that I come across.
Four artists are represented on the label’s sixth Excursion. Nørus may make you anticipate Teutonic metal but the Brazilian producer’s “Make A Move” is a classic hunk of atmospheric techno or warm and trippy house with a UR-influenced vibe. Cyclonix returns to the series with “On My Mind” – a remix from Excursions Vol 3 by Flabaire. And Jenifa Mayanja needs no words of introduction and her “The Deed Is In The Doing” closes the compilation on a quirky, off-kilter stepper’s parade.
V/A: Excursions Vol 6 / Phuture Shock Musik
A1. Norus – “Make A Move”
A2. Sloppy J – “Lange Nacht”
B1. Cyclonix – “On My Mind” (Flabaire remix)
B2. Jenifa Mayanja – “The Deed Is In The Doing”
Music + Soul + Spirit: Originally published in 5 Mag issue 174 with Robert Hood, Rasmus Faber, Remute, Natasha Kitty Kat, DJ 3000 and Motech & more. Help support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.
