Spectreview: Moodymann – TAKEN AWAY

-LIGHT CORAL-

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Detroit techno may not be as recognizably vital to the development of electronic music than its older brother, Chicago house. Nevertheless, over thirty years since the Belleville Three “trapped George Clinton and Kraftwerk in an elevator together”, Detroit techno still survives as a style with an incredibly strong regional identity. It’s warm and soulful, but the grooves are humble and unglamorous, with a stylishness metropolitan sheen and a smooth organicness that evokes small clubs and flat streets more than towering skyscrapers. It’s helps that so many legendary figures from the old guard are still working today that keeps that feel alive: we can listen to music related today and assign it some working genre label, but how much of that music can you pin to a place?

Kenny Dixon Jr. (aka Moodymann) has been a working musician since his work with Planet E Communications in the late 90s, and ever since he’s kept his profile low and his discography healthy. His devotion to his hometown comes through in all of his material, from the indigo grooves of his debut Silentintroduction to the experimental, meandering Mahogany Black to the higher-profile Black Mahogani.  His latest release, the sensual, focused TAKEN AWAY, is yet another exhibit of the Detroit house legend’s command over the genre. Unlike other sprawling projects, this record feels streamlined, with the majority of its nine songs under the five-minute mark. The focus here seems to be on accessibility, with warm pads and beats that recalls more traditional disco-based house. It’s altogether an easier listen than its excellent predecessor SINNER, but it’s no less exploratory, jumping from Dilla-esque Southern-fried grooves (“Do Wrong”) to sultry flute hooks and fragrant incense (“Let Me In”) to coffee-house jazz (“Slow Down”) to sublime romantic house (“Let Me Show You Love”). Moodymann’s croon, as usual, fits perfectly within this world, and there’s not really a dull moment to be found. With any luck, TAKEN AWAY will earn Moodymann a whole new legion of admirers, although considering its current intrigue level it might already be happening.

Recommended for burning down the house.