Kraak And Smaak
Boogie Angst
Jalapeno/Inertia


Dutch trio Kraak And Smaak have been on the forefront of that country's breaks, beats, electronica and funk revolution. Already a household name in Europe and establishing high esteem from fellow electronic and dance artists such as Pete Tong, Annie Mac and The Blue Room, this special 2-disc release of their debut album is sure to capture more international prestige for these Dutch funksters.

For those not in the know, 'Boogie Angst' is a delicious platter of funked-up beats, phat bass-lines, wicked break beats and downbeat soundscapes sure to tickle every musical taste-bud. The down-right dirty funk of the album opener Money In The Bag immediately hooks you in and from then on, there is just no looking back. The dance-floor friendly breaks of One Of These Days and Say Yeah, with their obvious jazz influence is nothing short of infectious, while Maputo Express and Jolie Banane lays on the Afro-Latin flavours, complete with the obligatory percussion madness. If your tastes are not sated by this point, Kraak And Smaak take it down a notch with the ultra cool Keep On Searching, the hauntingly beautiful Danse Macabre and the sultry Mambo Solitario injecting that extra chill factor.

The bonus disk is a brilliant chaser to the main course, featuring remixes from big name electronic acts such as 4 Hero, Crazy Penis Mark Rae, Rhys Adams, Tom Belton and Soul Of Man.

If a feast of beats and funk is what you are after in an album, then you cannot go past this brilliant debut from Kraak And Smaak. With influences from hip-hop, blues, Latin, funk and big beat, it is an album that caters for a multitude of tastes; but who best to describe it than Kraak And Smaak themselves - "It's dance music to listen to."

Leo Varona