DJ Sake 1 - Soul Deluxxe Vol. 3

Genre hip hop External Links Official Website

Soul Deluxxe Vol. 3 is about what San Francisco's DJ Sake 1 calls "conscious party-rocking" music, in general. I know that this mix is the most recent in his Soul Deluxxe series, but I haven't heard the first two. And I know that Sake 1 is part of a Bay Area DJ collective known as (((Local 1200))) that's dedicated to bringing their conscious-but-fun style to parties worldwide. Here's more of what I've learned:

Lumumba was an eloquent leader in the '60s in the Congo and a speech of his makes an excellent spoken-word intro. Here he holds forth over a humming choir and gentle percussion, setting the tone for this record with his precise words: "Stop talking about love; make love." The next five tracks are sung by beautiful female voices that are in control. Each floats, weaves, and dodges in and out, up and down, setting her hooks among percussion doused in reverb but with undeniable impact. Jill Scott's "Bedda at Home" is woozy but insistent, her vocals swinging a melody backed by jazzy chords that yields to the sweet choir and bass of "Still Got Love" by Teedra Moses. The mildly discordant winds on "The Ride" by Dobie and Lain make an excellent preparation for the exquisite harmonies of Eric Roberson's "Couldn't Hear Me." The mix reaches a high point in the following tracks, "Ghetto Story" and "Glorious", but as amusing as it is to listen to Jemini grouse about her DJ paramours ("A guestlist is not a love note"), "No More Dating DJs" goes on a little too long for such a prominent spot in the set.

I've learned that there is a sweet spot between between chill-out and danceable and this mix falls into it, although I imagine there are people who can and do dance to it. I just couldn't jack to its beats; they're too slow and spaced out. But it packs way more oomph and visceral appeal, not to mention coherent lyrics, than any chill-out set -- it seems almost perfectly designed to accompany the evening cool down that comes after sunset on a hot night. I've learned that Soul Deluxxe Vol. 3 brings the refreshment after a stressful, damp summer afternoon.