Funky House Recommendations August 2014

Review: Setting the foundations for this summer's emphatic exploration of all things Brazilian, Aroop's inaugural Brazil Breakdown EP came our way in October 2013. Scoring critical acclaim with all the right tastemakers and critics, he set the bench high, and naturally this sets it even higher. Three well-dug not-too-obvious classics, each one has been given the perfect amount of Aroop polish. Jorge Ben's "Xica Da Silva" gets a mild discofication by way of a gossamer bass lick, Trio Ternura's "A Gira" natural rhythmic insistency is emphasised with subtlety and Marcos Moran's conga-heavy "Esquindin Din" gets the uptempo facelift it's always dreamt of. Unlike the World Cup itself, re-edits like this are truly timeless.