Imagine songstress Sarah Vaughan, guitarist Charlie Christian and turntable mastermind Cut Chemist in a dusty second hand record store with cheap wine and a sampler. Impossible, I know, but Belleruche is the next best thing. Comprised of vocalist Kathrin deBoer, guitarist Ricky Fabulous and DJ Modest on the decks, Belleruche make an exceptional trio and even more exceptional music. Born out of a shared love of old vinyl, true funk and real music for your soul, Belleruche make turntable soul music.

‘Turntable Soul Music?’ you ask. Yes, it’s jazz, soul, Latin and Brazilian, meets broken beat, electronic funk, hip hop and house. Their matchless sound is pure soulful jazz with scratches aplenty. Influenced by the likes of Solesides, DJ Vadim, Coldcut, Kid Koala, James Brown, Miles Davis, Les McCann, Spanky Wilson, Bill Withers, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Jimi Hendrix, the result is like nothing you’ve ever heard before. Their debut release, Turntable Soul Music, conjures up thoughts of Stax Records recording Django Reinhart with Dr Dre controlling the mixing desk. Or Erykah Badu jamming with Mixmaster Mike recorded into an analogue tape by The Dust Brothers.

Northern Girls is an impressive introduction and sets the tone for this suave record. DeBoer’s warm, musky voice resonates deep inside your soul as she effortlessly draws you in. The sassy Bump is accented by Fabulous’ guitar strums, while you can actually hear the crackling of vinyl on the sultry Reflection. Minor Swing comes out, err, swinging, before the quality and sheer elegance of the acoustic guitar cements itself on Balance. The funked up boom-bap of Bird Mess nicely juxtaposes deBoer’s soft, smoky utterances in 13.6.35. Once again, Fabulous’ rhythmically plucked guitar twangs echo Modest’s chunky thuds in Alice. The Itch is an upbeat orchestration of unadulterated musical goodness while It’ll Come follows the same seamless trend. Bought and Sold takes the album out on an ever so funky note while I’m left begging for more.

This debonair disc oozes class and sophistication. Throughout all the eleven tracks, Belleruche prove that Turntable Soul Music not only moves your feet but also feeds your soul. Just like a weird trawl through a musty basement full of records, Belleruche craft handmade hip hop and neo-soul with a touch of blues. A simply beautiful collection of upbeat ditties, downbeat odes and plain good music.