FILA BRAZILLIA.
RETROSPECTIVE.
Twentythree Records / T036:

Over the last two decades, there have been few more prolific production duos
than Steve Cobby and Dave "Man" McSherry. During their 16-year partnership,
the pair have amassed a massive body of work, including 10 studio albums,
70-plus remixes and a string of collaborations with the likes of A Certain
Ratio and pianist Harold Budd. Truly, there can be few dance acts so worthy
of a 'best of' compilation, particularly when their best is just *so good*.
You see, when it comes to quirky, organic, funk-laced downtempo tuneage,
Fila Brazillia are in a league of their own as 'Retrospective' so
spectacularly proves. Check the languid grooves and spine-tingling melodies
of 'A Zed & Two Ls', the spiritual bliss of 'Soft Music Under Stars' or the
skewed, horn-sporting beats of 'Little Dipper' there can be few better
'chill out' records around. But Fila haven't always been about horizontal
listening, as the more uptempo moments here atest. There's the brazen stoner
funk of 'The New Cannonball' (from the superb 'Powerclown' album), the
twisted stomp of 'Motown Coppers' and the bizarre brass
band-meets-electrofunk trip of 'Thatched Neon'. Even at their oddest such
on the jazzual hip hop freakery of 'The Great Attractor' or 'Nutty Slack's
shimmering strings-and-human beatbox weirdness Cobby and McSherry are
still more inventive, outlandish and downright fun than even their most
acclaimed contemporaries. Fila Brazillia are oft-overlooked when it comes to
plaudits; perhaps this brilliant 'best of' will finally change all that.
5 out of 5.
Matt Anniss