London based Sup Peeps Records may not be a familiar name for most- it wasn’t to me anyway, but 'Start Collecting', the first compilation from this enigmatic label is a jazzy, funky, hip hop-ified two-disc rollercoaster that is well worth checking out.
If you ask me, when the compilation gets its jazz-funk on is when it is at its strongest. Album opener 'Asa715' by Four Leaf Sound and 'CIRCLE' aka Oliloquy’s two contributions ('I’ll Drive the Band' and 'The Subject Is…') set the bar high and if you don’t find yourself nodding along to 'Sepia Sky' by OdjBox, I simply don’t think we could ever be friends.
Disc two starts strong too. There’s something hypnotic about the bells and vocal sample in Trig’s 'Kibou no Kiseki (Track of Hope)' and Jill Peacock shows us on 'Up in the Air' that she has a pretty awesome voice.
A couple of tracks, 'Got to Get On Now' by Yuki Kanesaka and 'Twist off Cap' by Big Hell feature beats that sound a bit too much like the classic two-step beat of UK Garage for my taste but may conjure nostalgic vibes for those of a similar vintage to me (I was always more of a drum & bass fan myself). They stick out a little among the more laid back tracks but may offer a pleasant change of gears if the jazz gets a bit much for you. The rapper on 'Got to Get On Now' will never set the Hip Hop on fire either…
If you’re a fan of UK Hip Hop, look up Boodacon. His performance on DJ Buzzword’s Small Town Pleasures is (and I’m guessing he’ll hate this comparison if he reads this) reminiscent of Mike Skinner… If Mike Skinner knew how to flow ON a beat instead of around it, although he does veer into ‘talking over the beat’ territory. If the original of Hot Donkey’s Disregard is as funky as Ali Jameson’s remix, then I’m looking them up when I finish this review.
All in all, I’d say Stay Collecting is well worth a listen, or even worth dusting off your wallet. If this is a taste of things to come from Sup Peeps, I recommend making a note of the name and the talented bunch that album A&R Jay Kenny got together.
