All Things Deep - Reviews - Various Artists: True Spirit 2

Various - True Spirit 2

Dr. Bob Jones and Lofty have done an excellent job in establishing Chilli Funk as a label associated with the best of today's dance scene. Specializing in mature, soulful tracks that resist categorization, True Spirit 2 encapsulates everything that is great about their vision. The inclusion of two of the year's best singles in Nathan Haines' ubiquitious "Earth Is The Place" and Reel People's "Spiritual" provides guaranteed dancing satisfaction, both tunes walking the line between house, jazz, and fusion. Deeper sounds are to be found on the eclectic "NKosi" by T.Kolai and "Aya," a track licensed from a Japanese label, while more traditional house fare is represented by Ne-Grove and Speedbump. There's nothing wrong with the latter two cuts, but truth be told they are the weakest links on this collection.

More rewarding are the soulful stylings of rising star Donnie ("Do You Know") and Georg Levin ("When I'm With You"), bringing things back to the r&b base from which dance music emerged. Perhaps most stunning is "Free As The Morning Sun," a euphoric Latin-tinged jam from Mr. Hermano that should bring a smile to anyone's face.

Taken as a whole, there are at least four future classics on this disc, all in unmixed, full-length versions, making this a good value for the discerning (and budget-minded) consumer. Overlooked at the time of its release, this is a notable effort worth hunting down.

Released 2001 on Chilli Funk

Selected Tracks:

Donnie - Do You Know
Reel People - Spiritual
Nickodemus - Free Souls Part 2