ALMA NEGRA

Alma Negra is a Swiss collective that consists of four musically driven friends, each in touch with their global ancestry. Truly world citizens, the quartet can boast links to Cape Verde, Portugal, Italy and Spain - stick that in your ethnicity tick box and smoke it! They are all passionate diggers who love playing music from all over the world, something that's evident in their productions as well.

Encompassing jazz, African and Latin sounds to soul, funk, disco, house and even techno. As far as inspiration goes they mention Donald Byrd, Fela Kuti and Theo Parrish. Their creative output has led them to release on such fine labels as Sofrito, Highlife and most recently Basic Fingers. Now they are back with "Digger's Workout", a fresh and exciting instalment in the Basic Fingers catalogue - divided into three separate 12"s with remixes from Esa & Santuri, Osunlade aka Yoruba Soul, Rainer Trueby & Corrado Bucci present TRUCCY.

"Digger's Workout Part 2" continues precisely where the first volume left us, rolling our shoulders and swinging our hips right in the middle of the dancefloor. Keeping the quality sky high, the quartet open the set with the market place ambience, smokey jazz and infectious groove of "Safari". Polyrhythms rattle and roll underfoot, creating a 'drunk-on-the-waltzers' vibe which is only enhanced by the streetside murmurings and syncopated bass. As a busking sax drifts by on an evening breeze, filtered dub techno vamps create a potent counter rhythm, straightening out the groove and maximising the dance floor energy. Given the spiritual vocal chants and ancestral rhythms, it only seems right that Osunlade enter the party on remix duty. Never one to disappoint, the house legend treats us to a 'Yoruba Soul' mix which stretches the groove, strips out a little sax and injects dreamy synth licks and starry eyed fx, perfect for putting the whole club under your spell. Alma Negra return to close the set out with the propulsive and percussive "Pilon", an exotic floor filler which translates the ensemble's Cape Verde heritage into modern club euphoria. Fusing funana, coladeira and filter house, Alma Negra create a unique house banger accented with frenzied accordion, flamenco guitar and a shimmeying bassline.