Would you expect these guys to turn is a less than stellar mixtape? Er, no. No, you would not.
New York City’s the Rapture may have made a minor misstep with their last artist album, but their taste in party tunes is unimpeachable. Bear witness to Tapes, which sprawls 30 years and collects 22 (mostly) obscurities that are well worth knowing. The funk intro to this disc is outstanding and ends entirely too soon. Back-to-back-to-back standouts from the Bar-Kays, Junkyard Band and Vaughan Mason & Crew serve as a warm-up to disco cuts from the likes of Arcade Lover and Thomas Bangalter. From there, the focus is largely piano-driven house cuts, but oddities like Donk Boys’ “Cpstyre” keep you guessing to finish.
Christian W. Smith
File under: The Bar-Kays, Syclops, Cajmere