DJ-Kicks: Moodymann (Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl 3LP)

Released in 2016, a year on from the DJ-Kicks series’ 50th instalment, Moodymann’s contribution remains one of its most celebrated entries. Now reissued a decade later, the set finds Detroit icon Kenny Dixon Jr. curating jazz, soul, hip-hop and house into a smoky, late-night statement. Among the tracklist is a welcome local nod for Aotearoa listeners, with Julien Dyne and Mara TK’s Stained Glass sitting beautifully in the mix. - Flying Out

Moodymann has a singular approach to DJing. His sets span the entire history of African-American music and his hometown of Detroit. Plenty of DJs might reference hip-hop, soul, disco, house, techno and new wave as influences, but few would try to cram them all into one set. His persona behind the decks, effectively an alter-ego of Kenny Dixon Junior, is a complicated one. At times he wants to avoid the audience entirely, obscuring his face with a mask or hiding behind a sheet. But other times he's happy to be the centre of attention, using a microphone to shout party-stating banter and, on one occasion at a roller rink, joining the dance floor mid-set to help sell T-shirts emblazoned with his image. Most often he plays music that people love, but sometimes he seems to intentionally clash with the setting and earlier DJ sets. Whatever the case, his style is completely inimitable.

Tracklist

1. Yaw - Where Will You Be
2. Flying Lotus - Tea Leaf Dancers (feat Andreya Triana)
3. Les Sins - Grind
4. Noir & Haze - Around (Solomun vox)
5. Julien Dyne - Stained Glass Fresh Frozen (feat Mara TK)
6. Jitwam - Keepyourbusinesstoyourself
7. Dopehead - Guttah Guttah
8. Talc - Robot's Return (Modern Sleepover part 2)
9. Peter Digital Orchestra - Jeux De Langues
10. Jai Paul - BTSTU
11. Beady Belle - When My Anger Starts To Cry
12. Daniel Bortz - Cuz You're The One
13. Joeski - How Do I Go On (feat Jesante)
14. Nightmares On Wax - Les Nuits
15. SLF & Merkin - Tag Team Triangle
16. Lady Alma - It's House Music (Moodymann edit)
17. Tirogo - Disco Maniac
18. Kings Of Tomorrow - Fall For You (feat April - Sandy Rivera Classic mix)
19. Soulful Session & Lynn Lockamy - Hostile Takeover