Grooverider – Mysteries Of Funk

Grooverider's only album, MYSTERIES OF FUNK, came while he was at the top of the drum'n'bass world, and from "Cybernetic Jazz," you can hear why: the thick beats and deep jazz bass that transforms into tech-step halfway through then back again. Roya Arab's vocals on "Rainbows of Colour" intersects with the beats in an unexpected way, which makes for an interesting track. "On the Double" is all about the detective funk, while "Time and Space" dives further into the jazz . If you want more aggression, "Where's Jack the Ripper" fits the bill (with Optical perhaps showing more of his hand here), and "C Funk" maintains the roughness while adding a scat vocal. "Starbase 23," on the other hand, starts out more mellow and spacey before the beats come in force, and "Time & Space (Heaven Mix)" maintains the mellowness throughout (with bongos!). But if you're expecting tribal sounds on "Rivers of Congo," there are a few, but they're certainly secondary. The horns go crazy at the start of "Imagination (Parts 1 & 2)," but it's the bass that keeps things steady (on "Part 3," however, the beat goes downtempo and mysterious). "560 Degrees" edges into skittery darkness, and "Stay With Me" has a touch of whispery menace. With this album, Grooverider manages to find some of the clues to solve the mystery.

it took an eternity to come out & all the tunes were being battered on plate for ages by all the inner circle of the scene back then. Showcasing the immense talents of a certain Optical on production & engineering, this is a masterpiece, as good if not better than Goldies Timeless imo. The quality of the production is second to none & as the title suggests, oozing with funk but still with that darkside that the Rider championed back in the late 90's. It has to be said he was the DON back then so where did it all go wrong for him??? Anyway, highlights include on the double, C funk & imagination & of course the huge anthem that is where's Jack the ripper, try to get hold of the limited digi doublepack for longer versions plus extra tunage.