written by Chris Familton

Fat Freddy’s Drop are at their best when they are on-stage in front of a heaving, swaying audience. Their patient slow-build and dedication to the mood and groove of music is a sight and sound to behold so a new live album is a real bonus for those seeking to bottle some of the experience or hear what all the fuss is about.

Live At Roundhouse London sees the seven-piece finishing up 2008 with a six week European Tour and fine tuning many of the tracks that ended up on last year’s Dr Boondigga & The Big BW. The only exception is Flashback from their debut which shows the band’s consistent quality of songwriting and arranging. They could have easily devolved into a party band like Cat Empire but thankfully they’ve maintained their focus on deep, full immersion jams that pull in influences from jazz to dub to house, hip-hop and soul music.

The Raft is the most dub-soaked track with it’s smoky horns leading singer Joe Dukie into a slow swinging soul vocal. Two thirds of the way through the pace quickens and mastermind Mu dials dub effects into the mix creating a swirling sonic gumbo before they gradually strip the song back to its instrumental framework, completing a musical journey over sixteen minutes.

Every track is over ten minutes which allows the listener to focus on the slow mutating soundscapes. The peak comes with Shiverman and it’s pulsing tech-house rhythms that build over ten minutes before carnival horns gloriously explode into life. Live albums rarely translate as effectively as the real experience. This one will leave fans salivating.

this review first appeared in Drum Media