(Underwater Records)

The intro sounds like some angry muppets – quirky! A bit like the whole album, really. The Little Ginger Club Kid is a wicked debut album from a creative musical creator – Tim DeLuxe.

Heavy Weather feat. Sam Obernik sounds messy. Vocal by Obernik are great and they suit the song; sometimes deep and throaty, and sing-song fleetingly touching the notes at other moments. The build up is pretty raw and abrasive, mixing melodies with jungle. This is the sort of song which you’re either going to love or hate. Nonetheless, this song is charming – especially the “si si te quiero, yeh I love you so”, which will keep you shakin’ all night.

Well, my favourite would have to be Less Talk More Action feat. Terra Deva. The video clip is pretty bizarre – a human version of a pedigree dog show. I’m not sure why, but this song reminds me of game shows. All this chitter chatter supercalifragilistic stuff. Hell-oh, Mary Poppins. So ladies, when the oven is warm, hopefully this song will give your man or lady the hint – get right to it!

What A Life (Amsterdam) feat. The Bugsta has a bit of dialogue, bit of scratchiness, sounds of life – water, airplane, cop sirens, traffic sounds. 2 Kool 4 Skool features the vocals of Ben Onono and Terra Deva. The intro is very cool with drums and an annoying bleep that goes mental and moulds into a chanting which then introduces the vocals of Onono in a different way than I have ever heard – with much more attitude. This is so cool, you’ll go blue. Don’t play it around your folks – they wouldn’t be impressed with the anti-education perspective. Dialogue features in the Record Shop – strange. If only I could work out the accent. I gathered something about the Craig David record and “Rewind!!”

Sam Obernik – and the saucy clip – helped make Tim’s second single It Just Won’t Do a smashing success. There is a truly carnivale and carefree partying feel – very Mardi Gras. The French (?) horn pounds out the highly-recognisable beat. Obernik’s nasal and twangy vocals are unseemly at first, but it’s choice! It really does suit the song. I would have to say that Battle is the best of the unreleased tracks. It is a fantiddliastic track featuring the vocals of Ben Onono. This is an amazing arrangement that will pick up the vibe on the dancefloor with the potential, after some remixing, to be deepened into a chillout tune.

We All Love Sax was his debut track which was vocal-less and had a lot of sax. Very bold move. But he’s a guru, right? The genius wrote (and produced) a unique track in which the saxophone is integral and provides the voice and feeling. Jamie Anderson owns the lungs behind the voice of the sax. Hah – even my dance music-hating pub-crawling housemate liked this wicked l’il number!

Story Of You And Me shows the sweet side to Terra Deva’s voice. Otherwise, the song is nice but not particularly… “special” as Bruce McAvaney so eloquently puts it… all the time. Mundaya (The Boy) is a strange one – with vocals by Shalin Badar in another language. I like the percussion – very soothing. There are some shakers that remind me of rattle snakes – very cute… anyway, this track is actually sexy (not cute) so get your tush moving! The slow track is Little White Ship which is a bit spooky and slow.

The last track is Choose Something Like A Star. At about 01’00, the track develops into its character which is a bit more electronic, bit deeper and more abstract. There’s an Emerson-esque feel (they happen to be good mates). This track verges on trance. The ending gets choppy and bassy as it intensifies, then slows down, then breaks down to an interesting finish to the album.

My verdict? IT’S A WINNER! Tim DeLuxe – what a genius, hats off to you!