African Blues – Color In Rhythm Stimulate Mind Freedom

"Odu Jazz", "Great Meditator" and "Water" are my top favorites.

An intriguing voyage in sound design and atmospheres, taking influence from Larry Heard and similar producers. The album is metropolitan at times, and tropical at others, carrying a subtle progression, making it not necessarily the most listenable album, but it can set a scene well and provide excellent background music. Highlights for me are "Inside Your Mind", a moody take on Downtempo and Lounge music, "SunPower" with its hypnotic pads, plus the heartfelt sounds of "Water" and "Odu Jazz", enriched with improvised instruments. Fans of pre-2000s Deep House shouldn't overlook this album.

Ron Trent and Anthony Nicholson team up as a super Afro-house team USG for their album COLOR IN RHYTHM STIMULATE MIND FREEDOM, and their vibes are immediately evident with the low and slow soul of "Inside Your Mind," while "Great Meditator (Interlude)" goes for Afro-cosmic ambience. The 4/4 finally comes in "SunPower," deep and lush, while "Arithmatic" returns to a more downtempo vein. The African drumming that saturates these tracks is integrated subtly, a definite presence, but not one that overwhelms. The phased horn sample on "Great Meditator" gives it a unique texture, while "Water" has an appropriately liquid texture. More tropical elements find their way onto "Coconut Jam," but the groove is undeniable on "Afrodrama Therapy" and "Odu Jazz." Towards the end, "Magic -N- Movement" brings things down for some classic funk, until "Word, Sound, Power (Outro)" closes things out with smooth, instrumental tribal house. Without a doubt, the color, rhythm and stimulation are all in there.

A rich, rewarding listen from start to finish. Ron Trent & Anthony Nicholson's collaborations for previous 12"s 'Coconut Jam', 'Sunpower' & 'Afrodrama Therapy' (...what a track!) all feature, in addition to 5 timeless & spiritual tracks of varying tempo. Perhaps the strongest of which- 'Odu Jazz': a deep ride which unfolds into a distant piano jam, the kind of record you could drop early or late due to the pace & perfect balance of subtlety/momentum. Value surely set to rise as more discover & seek out this true gem. Unquestionably Beautiful.

Is the digital album version the exact same as the CD, or is it a full-length, non-mixed, album?

Excellent deep house LP.

Not easy to find such a solid production in all the album tracks.

If you find it, buy it.