SOUL EXPRESS REVIEW

If you, like me think that 90% of what pours out of America today is absolute rubbish, and you yearn for the days when you could buy soulful club-orientated music, then look no further than this essential and exclusive UK 12” single from the excellent Soulchooz stable. Now, the name Barry Towler and vinyl records are not a happy pairing and give me a CD single or an mp3 any day of the week. However, if you have sore misgivings as I did, then please prepare to put some talcum powder on them, swallow the old pride and shell out for what has to be one of the most essential UK release singles for a VERY long time. The most interesting, if not surprising thing about this group is that they are from Australia! Yes, the home of dodgy soap operas finally gives up something I am proud to be in the company of! LOL.

If you hark back to the tunes of the SOS Band, Mtume, Kashif, Evelyn Champagne King, Change, Loose Ends and so on from the mid 1980s then, boy, is this single for you! The opening beats really smack of The SOS Band's “Sands Of Time”. The groove is soulful, funky and full of live instrumentation – check out the slap bass! Simply delicious! Let's face it, the song simply grooves. If you missed the jams of Jam & Lewis before they lost their ability to make memorable music, then check out “Fantasisin'”. A quick hit on the sound file at www.soulchoonz.com or www.crazybeat.co.uk will have you hitting the purchase button immediately. I guarantee it. A song that was designed for the hot summery weather we are currently experiencing here in the UK. This is sheer heaven.

“I Choose You” is a tad more pop-orientated but bounces along very nicely and again hits the 80s dance scene perfectly. Fans of Reggie Lucas should appreciate this style of crossover boogie. This duo, from what I hear on their MySpace page sounds really top-draw and they have won the respect of this individual whinging pom. This will be the first of a number of singles you may see from me on these pages. Who would have thought it?
- Barry Towler, Soul Express

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I’m told that Confection hail from Australia, though you wouldn’t know it from this excellent slab of retro soul.

Here you can think (even fantasise … sorry!) about the great productions of Jam & Lewis and the slinky performances of the SOS Band and Janet Jackson. Vocalist Juniata Tippins nails the song with an inflection that underlines the sensuality inherent in the message, while producer Josh Beagley keeps everything else solid and tight. Modern room dancers will delight in the B-side (‘I Choose You’) – an almost perfect example of the bouncy, retro modern soul groove, while as a bonus on the 12-inch, there’s an extended remix of ‘Fantasisin’’ which is even slinkier than the main edit.
WORDS BILL BUCKLEY, Blues and Soul Magazine

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CHART ACTION

“Fantasisin’” debuting at #16 on the influential Solar Chart,

UK DJ Chris Jay (founder of the Sour Mash Collective) has it at #15,

and the respected DJ Pete Haigh chart has it at #7 through radio and club plays.

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