The arrival of The Originals 5 marks the fact that Leipzig’s Golden Rules label is now half a decade into its worthy mission to present punters with the freshest contemporary funk and soul from around the world. And perhaps because this volume is therefore a release of some moment, this time around there are a couple of notable differences to previous volumes. For one, it is by far the jazziest offering yet with arguably its entire content falling under a broadly soul-jazz or jazz-funk umbrella albeit with afro or latin stylings from time to time. Secondly, this one has a special focus on bands from the label’s home city of Leipzig with at least five artists and outfits (Oluma, Majazat, Peki Momés, Yaellee and Playa Playa) among the eleven to appear who represent Saxony’s most populous city.
The biggest name in the setlist is arguably Peki Momés who drops the ethereal and summery Turkish language cut Çatida Güvercinler Yürüyor (Pigeons Walking On The Roof fact fans!) which forms the album’s centre-piece. Elsewhere you get jazz-funk that borders on the broken beat-ish (Mark Treffel feat. Lizzie Boyd’s Be You and Oluma’s Latin-tinged Jello (John Reed Edit)), soul-jazz (Yaelle’s Weary Eyes), jazz afrobeats (Majazat’s Afrobees) and cinematic jazziness on SHOLTO’s Patterns Repeat. The best two cuts however – for the monkey’s money at least – are the relatively gritty Schifrin-esque sixties crime-flick style soundtrack of opener The Golden Dagger by Los Santos Caballeros and the spaced-out jazziness of Diego Alejandro’s NoName which, once the intro is out of the way, comes on at times like a live-played DOOM beat.
(Out now on Golden Rules)