<p><span><span>- Kaidi Tatham has released a new album titled <em>An Insight To All Minds</em>. A stalwart of the UK music scene, Tatham was a member of the <strong>The Herbaliser</strong>'s live band in the '90s, <strong>Bugz In The Attic</strong> and one of the architects of the broken-beat scene, in addition to doing session work with a staggering list of musicians. His sound is distinctive, incorporating elements of jazz, hip-hop, jazz and dance music to great effect.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The synth-driven tune <em>Intergalactic Relations</em> serves up some cosmic disco, thick with arpeggios and synth-lines backed with acoustic drums. Midway it unexpectedly transitions to a silky smooth groove. <em>Interlude</em> sounds like a disco cut from <strong>Prelude Records</strong>. A percussion section introduces us to the swing of <em>Carry It Ft. Mongo Man</em>, Tatham’s signature lead synth complementing a tight arrangement. I love the heavy syncopation sections and the occasional unison playing. Similarly I love the maximalist arrangement and lush strings on the disco instrumental <em>Tek Care</em>. <em>Rain</em> and <em>An Insight To All Minds</em> both exhibit disco elements too, with great percussive breaks and tight playing all round. <em>Chungo</em> is an unusually metred hip-hop track featuring <strong>Uhmeer</strong> (the rapper also appeared on his Tatham's last album). <em>Nah Top Yuh Noise</em> gives us another glimpse of a Tatham hip-hop beat. Sampled vocals and drums, keys and stuttering rhythms gives the jazzy <em>Rodney</em> a broken-beat feel. <em>Stro Kyat</em> is an excellent slower track that shifts between different sections, instrumentation and metres effortlessly, featuring <strong>Stro Elliot</strong> of <strong>The Roots</strong>.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>There’s a lot to appreciate in Tatham’s unique approach to music. With his combined abilities as a dexterous keyboard playing and an arranger, he touches on the styles of jazz, funk, hip-hop, house and disco while retaining his own sensibility. Like <strong>Geroge Duke</strong> or <strong>Herbie Hancock</strong> his playing is distinct and virtuosic, producing an energetic sound that radiates positivity and good vibes; not something to be sneezed at at the best of times and certainly not now.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Hillfolk.</span></span></p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1141807083/size=large/bgcol=f…; seamless><a href="https://kaiditatham.bandcamp.com/album/an-insight-to-all-minds">An Insight To All Minds by Kaidi Tatham</a></iframe>