I have enjoyed the music of the German combo De-Phazz - "the Godfathers of Lounge" - since I came accross their first album, Detunized Gravity, in the end of the 90s, and have been listening to them since then. I also had the good luck to catch their live act at the Babylon Club in Istanbul, where it became apparent to me that they had really been able to achieve the sweet feat of combining warm, mellow, groovy electronic samples with the immediacy and spontaneity of a live jazz band, something that many have attempted, but only a few have succeeded in doing. Almost all their albums have been great in their way, and they had many hits in the not too hardcore club scene. But the album BIG of 2009 is - in my perception - by far their greatest. Together with the Radio Bigband Frankfurt they have re-produced a well balanced collection of some of their biggest hits and some less well known songs, reinterpreting their ingenious melodies and grooves in a subtle but very enticing way. The music is very rich and multi-layered without being heady, always groovy and always jazzy, and the excellent recording and production quality make this a gem for all soul jazz and lounge music fans. Go out and buy it right now!
