Available on: Eglo 12″

‘Soul Glo’

This debut solo release from the Swedish-born London-based soul singer Fatima builds on the buzz generated by previous collaborations with the likes of Floating Points and Funkineven to deliver a varied and entertaining quartet of tracks. On the opening ‘Higher’, producer VeeBeeO takes the tonal palette of Stevie Wonder circa Talking Book and adds some mellifluous gospel stylings and a laidback hip-hop swagger. Cruising with the top down music. As is the second track on side one, ‘Warm Eye’, where Fatima’s deliciously light ode to summer loving is counterbalanced by a drum track that cuts to the bone like prime Marley Marl or Teddy Riley. A DâM-Funk production that nods in the direction of Quiet Storm as much as his trademark ‘modern funk’.

As enjoyable as the A-side is, this EP really takes off when you flip it over for the two tracks with Funkineven at the controls: ‘Soul Glo’ and ‘On the Go’. The former is a tribute to the hair care product featured in Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America, itself a pastiche of the glossy, loosely curled and very high maintenance Jheri curl style that had Black America in its grip in the mid-late 80s. Fatima’s paean to this much mocked yet fondly remembered fashion is suitably oleaginous, synths and vocal lines (some treated, some natural) oozing everywhere like so much Soul Glo on your hands. ‘On the Go’ features even more Worrell-esque keyboard wooziness, references to the pyramids, a breakdown that sounds like George Clinton remixing Justice, a smidgeon of double bass and an unexpected nod to Tears for Fears (‘Head over Heels’).

What’s most curious though is that all this sonic madness acts as the perfect foil to Fatima’s no nonsense soul/R&B vocals. Beyoncé should be so lucky as to have a producer as sympathetic, creative and ahead of the curve at the helm of her next project. Expect Madonna to be on the phone to Funkineven any time now.

Justin Toland