Following in a long line of successful artists, Krafty Kuts has been given the honours of mixing the next volume in the uber-cool and successful series Back To Mine. There have been some outstanding efforts over the 28 editions thus far, Groove Armada and MJ Cole’s sticking in my mind as a couple of the best; so does the funky breaks master have what it takes to put together a top quality downbeat mix?

Opening up with the funky sax vibes from acid jazz/hip hop hybrid Sharpshooters and the track Pork Pie Stride, Krafty shows he means business from the outset – no ambient grooves to be heard, this is straight-out funk and there will be no arguments. After scratching his way into Massive Attack’s massive 1988 debut track Any Love, which still sounds as fresh as the day it was released, we touch on Krafty’s strong hip hop roots with Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth’s They Reminisce Over You. Krafty seems to have a great sense of how quality music, albeit dated, is going to fit together which is shown by his inclusion of the heavily sampled Incredible Bongo Band and their 1973 piece In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida.

Krafty bops to a new beat when he drops Paul Hardcastle’s soundscape Rain Forest and the Daft Punk-preceding electro workout The Smurf, coming straight outta the 80s another track that sits nicely alongside songs some 25 years its junior. Danish new wave group Who Made Who are a delight to see with the simple guitar riffs in Space Fore Rent. It is Ed Solo and Skool Of Thought’s We Play Music that really catches your attention on this mix though. The long blue grass intro is all fun and games, but when the beats kick in you are not going to see a single head keeping still.

Of course the mix wouldn’t be the same with at least a bit of Krafty’s original production, and he doesn’t disappoint with Roll Over Baby from his Tricka Technology album produced with turntablist A-Skillz, truly THE sound of the 2003 summer. It is an unexpected twist when Nu Shooz’s 1985 disco treat I Can’t Wait comes on and is backed up with A.D.O.R.’s heavy hip hop groove on Let It All Hang Out. We close the disc with Krafty’s own Summer Samba, a Latin inspired downtempo piece that drifts out the stereo in a meandering style that is sure to please.

Krafty’s release may be a little different from past releases that have focussed on the trippy and ambient, but is absolutely fantastic throughout. Digging deep into his crate, Krafty crosses genres with ease, his clean mixing style fused in with his excellent turntable skills, making this a truly excellent mix. It’s testament to the fact that you don’t just go back to Krafty’s place to wind down, you go back there to party.

Perfect for: It’s obvious, innit?

Check out the tracklisting…

1. Sharpshooters – Pork Pie Stride
2. Massive Attack – Any Love (2)
3. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – They Reminisce Over You
4. Incredible Bongo Band – In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida
5. Powerhouse 3 – Making A Living
6. Captain Rock – Captain Rock To The Future Shock
7. Paul Hardcastle – Rain Forest
8. Tyrone Brunsdon – The Smurf
9. Who made Who – Space for Rent
10. Ed Solo & Skool Of Thought – We Play The Music
11. Nas – Nas Is Like
12. The Soul Searchers – Ashley’s Roachclip
13. Krafty Kuts & A Skillz – Roll Over Baby
14. Nu Shooz – I Can’t Wait
15. A.D.O.R. – Let It All Hang Out
16. Black Grass – Yesterdays Gone
17. Roy Ayers – Searching
18. Krafty Kuts – Summer Samba

And here’s Krafty Kuts playing at a slightly faster pace… In the Boiler Room at the recent Sydney Big Day Out.