Soulphiction, a.k.a. Stuttgart’s Michel Baumann, the man behind Philpot Records and one third of Manmadescience, is not a guy to be pigeonholed. Despite the tendency in his music to just chug along, lulling you into a groove-induced state of hypnosis, there are so many styles and influences crammed into his productions that he always has you on the hook, just as, say, Moodymann or Theo Parrish might. This whole album is one big tip of the hat to those dons of Detroit, with its scene-setting chords and jazzy, techno sound-scapes intertwining beautifully with twisted disco samples and Afro vocal snippets. Granted, this is not for everyone, but for many – myself included – this will be one of 2008’s real gems.
