Comments (1) ... When it comes to down tempo funk and breaks there's one quadruple of cats who hold it down like no others. Collectively they're known by names like Thunderball (ESL Music) and The Fort Knox Five, but their mothers know them as Sid Barcelona, Jon Horvath, Rob Myers, and Steve Raskin. You might think being counted amongst the foremost influences on the international funk and breaks scene was enough, but clearly it isn't.

1. Fort Knox Five "Radio Free DC (feat. Afrika Bamabaataa & King Kamonzi)"
2. Fort Knox Five "Blowing Up The Spot (feat. Akil Dasan)"
3. Fort Knox Five "The Brazilian Hipster"
4. Rex Riddim "Salvador Diaspora (feat. Carlos Scorpiao)(FK5 mix)"
5. Speedy Consuela "Sundaydream"
6. Fort Knox Five "Once Again (feat. Jah Kamonzi)"
7. Fort Knox Five "The Big Score"
8. Speedy Consuela "Sukka Suited"
9. Fort Knox Five "Dodge City Rockers (feat. Mustafa Akbar)"
10. International Velvet "Baby Shiva (feat. Mustafa Akbar & Roots of See-I)"
11. Liftoff "Shine"
12. International Velvet "Chariot (feat. Mustafa Akbar)(interplanetary mix)"
13. Liftoff "Autumn"
14. Liftoff "Kool It Man"

Every once in a while you come across sounds you know are going to change everything. Fort Knox Recordings was founded in 2003 and has since positioned itself as a major influence on the world of modern breakbeat. Over the years they've gained a strong following and while many inside the electronic music world are familiar with their sound, Fort Knox's biggest release to date is sure to catch the ears of an even broader audience. It's aptly titled "The New Gold Standard" and believe me, following on Fort Knox's release of six critically acclaimed singles, it aint hype. The New Gold Standard is the labels first CD release and its first full-length outing, and promises to reach a far wider audience than their previous vinyl releases.

I'm not joking when I say it took me about a week before I could let the tracks advance past "Brazilian Hipster", a Fort Knox Five number. I pretty much just put that song on repeat. It became my driving anywhere theme song. After that it took a few more days to get past Rex Riddim's "Salvador Diaspora (FK5 remix)" featuring the vocals of Carlos Scorpiao. Nice, nice rhythms!

By then I was on to Speedy Consuela (one of the greatest band names I've heard in a long time) with a cut called "Sundaydream" and it made for a refreshing change of pace. When things kicked down into the deep, dub grooves of Fort Knox Five's "Once Again" featuring Jah Kamonzi and got funky again with "The Big Score", I knew I was getting chronic. Things got really serious when Speedy Consuela (actually Johnna Miller, Steve Raskin, Joyce White and Matt White) came back with the sweet funky breaks of "Sukka Suited" and I knew it would take an intervention to separate me from this disc. At track 10 it was time for International Velvet's slice of sitar breaks called "Baby Shiva" with Mustafa Akbar and Roots of See-I.

Listening to this collection in full you can't help realize that this sound is likely to alter the course of the downtempo music in the same way Thievery Corporation's debut Sounds From The Thievery Hi-Fi blew the place apart in '96. Thievery weren't the first to explore the sound they did and neither are the Fort Knox crew, but one thing is undeniable, their delivery is flawless. Fort Knox have been renovating the breaks scene for years, but now their stepping out and taking it far beyond.

Like I said, The New Gold Standard is likely to change everything. It won't be overnight, in fact it's been happening since 2003, but if you're not already aware, don't let yourself get smacked with that funny surprised look a year or two from now when you discover The New Gold Standard.

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