(TCR/Fuzzy Breaks/MRA)

I would like to start by saying I saw JDS at the Metro on Saturday night and they rocked! The world famous breaks duo, consisting of Darren Pearce and Julian Napolitano, have finally released their long-awaited ‘The Adventures of the Purple Funky Monkey’ album. With praise like “faultless” and “fucking amazing” coming from Krafty Kuts and Crystal Method respectively, you’d be forgiven for giggling in satisfaction once you got your hands on a copy (as I did). But does it live up to the hype?

The opening tune is, of course, ‘Purple Funky Monkey’. It, along with the fantastical huge ‘Blackout’, will be the two tunes most listeners jump to play. Proof of the popularity of these tunes was amply displayed on Saturday night.The rest of the CD is a creative cross between the funk, down-tempo, rock, disco and prog elements of breaks. We hear the groovy ‘This Is Kalifornia’, female vocals in ‘Don’t Be Alone’ and the rockin’ ‘Rockstar’. If you prefer your breaks down-tempo, there’s the idyllic ‘Breezin’ and ‘Zeon’. The pace picks up with ‘Daylight’ or the darkly dirty ‘Disco Rockers’. The CD ends with the joint Kid Kenobi, Q45 & Ritual mix of ‘Rockstar’.

Fans of JDS’ big room tunes like ‘Blackout’ might be disconcerted by the variety on this CD. It’s not all bang from start to finish. On the contrary, we have a thoughtful collection of breaks ranging from phat basslines to Balearic calm. And trust me, this is one furry animal you want to adventure with!