Nickodemus is a Brooklyn based DJ who is also founder of the New York outdoor party Turntables on the Hudson. Sun People is the second album for this world music lover, who’s modus operandi is about dance music fusion. HE loves the groove, mashing hip hop with live instrumentation, urban western with traditional and world. First and foremost it’s a dance album, the beat, more often than not 4/4, premier, integrating the world music elements around these. We’ve got Latin grooves, cuban piano, US and UK hip hop, gypsy swing offered by a very interesting list of collaborators, most impressive for this writer being a couple of folks from gypsy legends Taraf de Haidouks. On a gypsy bent the New York Gypsy Allstars also appear on two of the tracks here, though you get the feeling that Nickodemus’ Western production and big beats is actually weighing them down. Much more successful is the light Brazilian/ flamenco sounds of Gira do Sol featuring New York based Brazilian Liliana Araujo. It’s when he moves away from the big beats and keeps everything light and breezy that Nickodemus is at his best, and luckily much of this, despite the stylistic diversity of guests fits this bill.
Bob Baker Fish
