US3 - Hand On The Torch

US3 - Hand On The TorchThe British jazz hip hop fusion collective Us3 founded in 1992 in London and its notable members included producers Mel Simpson and Geoff Wilkinson. The group scored a major hit in 1994 with Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia), a track that displayed the group's fondness for sampling classic recordings from the Blue Note label (in this case, Herbie Hancock's Cantaloupe Island'). The track was included on their debut album Hand On The Torch. The album was a

shifting piece of music in eight parts

“We studied about Africa and tried to infuse our music with an African spirit

while their hypnotic live shows have seen them hailed as one of the most exciting bands in Europe as they push their unique line-up to the outer limits of its possibilities

Originally released in 1972

One without the other could be dull and unsatisfying

“The line on Every Waking Minute

or maybe go on a special romantic date with someone

Boom-bap drums and chunky bass lines are front-and-center creating a perfect head-nodding backdrop for Lady Wray to take on the good

his vocalizations here are restricted to the occasional impassioned cry

the exotic bossa of “Tabu

it is a work with a pop sense like never before

The album was also released on vinyl at the same time