Rhythm & Culture is a label that has never really claimed its full potential. It's origins are steeped in the same brew that gave the world Thievery Corporation and ESL Music, though I'm not sure how closely related most people know the two labels are. It goes way beyond just being based in the same city of Washington, DC. Rhythm & Culture was founded by Thomas Blondet and Farid Nouri, co-founder alongside Eric Hilton (of Thievery Corporation fame), of the famous Eighteenth Street Lounge. Hilton regards Farid as one of the best DJs he's ever been exposed to, while Thomas Blondet is also a regular DJ at Eighteenth Street Lounge, and in fact, you'll find ESL Music's imprint is on this release. Literally. So you see, there are more than just convenient similarities between Rhythm & Culture and ESL Music, and yet, the former has carried on an almost invisible existence in comparison to the latter. I think this compilation should change a lot in that regard.

1. Zeb "Nafas"
2. Second Sky "Under The Line"
3. Farid "Side Car (2010 Vocal Mix)(feat. Sarah Vertino)"
4. Thomas Blondet "Havana 2am"
5. Second Sky "Too Far"
6. Farid "Sound Champion (feat. Zeebo)"
7. Nickodemus "2 Sips & Magic (Second Sky & Thomas Blondet Remix)"
8. Thomas Blondet "Dub Steppa (feat. Subatomic Sound System)"
9. Farid "Freedom (Panic on the Dancefloor Mix)(feat. Sitali)"
10. Thomas Blondet "Samba Soul"
11. Farid "Balearic Express (feat. Sarah Vertino)"
12. Zeb "The Rude Boy Style"
13. Thomas Blondet "The Way We Go (feat. E-Ball)"
14. Zeb "Dunes"

Rhythm & Culture has grown at a careful and measured pace over the years. It's current roster includes music form Zeb, Second Sky, Farid, and Thomas Blondet. Digging through their way past catalog you'll find work from artist like Browntempo and KidGusto, though they don't show up in the track list of The Sound of Rhythm & Culture. Along with the label signings, you'll also find Thomas Blondet and Second Sky remixing Nickodemus' "2 Sips & Magic", delivering what is definitely a solid version of an already excellent tune.

If you're not familiar with Rhythm & Culture yet, but have a healthy catalog of Thievery Corporation or ESL Music albums, this compilation will feel like home to you. Seriously. From Zeb's opening track "Nafas" and it's Middle Eastern dub, to the classic Brailizian rhythm from Thomas Blondet's "Samba Soul", or the very fresh-but-classic downtempo hip hop collaboration of Blondet and E-Ball in "The Way We Go", there is just an unmistakable DC sound that ignores music's cultural boundaries, allowing the songs to evoke warmth, style, relaxed tones, and vibrant life all at once.

Farid has previously released "Side Car", a tune highly regarded as a classic by Bastard Jazz Recordings founder Aaron Schultz, but for an updated version of that tune on this compilation, he enlisted the vocal talent of Sarah Vertino and as a result, turned "Side Car" into something very different, yet no less classic. Sarah Vertino can also be heard on Farid's soulful and playful housewise "Balearic Express". On the side of preserving a classic as-is however, Farid provides "Sound Champion", featuring vocals by Zeebo, of Rootz & Zeebo fame, which is of See-I fame, who are ultimately of Thievery Corporation fame.

All the Zeb tracks come off the album Zeb Step, released in Japan on the Rudiments label. His Middle Eastern and dub influenced style is a perfect fit for DC's musical culture. Second Sky is a trio who have previously released a couple singles on Rhythm & Culture and this compilation plucks one track off each. Their sound is a dreamy, male vocal led dub that shares living space in most cases with an abstract, relaxed notion of the 60s mod sound.

Throughout each of the songs on The Sound of Rhythm And Culture you'll find influences of dub, Middle Eastern music, deep house, downtempo, and Latin music. It's an excellent compilation of songs crossing a nice diversity of styles that is more than worth owning. if this doesn't push Rhythm & Culture toward the heights and respect enjoyed by close relative ESL Music, I'm not sure what it's going to take. Great stuff here.

Grab a free download of Thomas Blondet's "Havana 2am" right here at Properly Chilled.

http://soundcloud.com/thomas-blondet/thomas-blondet-what-feat-eball-almighty

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