Si Bure

Zanzibar born, Sheffield-based vocalist Mim Suleiman has teamed up with producer Maurice Fulton for new LP Si Bure, via his BubbleTease Communications imprint.

All of Fulton's hallmarks are there, from deliciously phased bass licks to rubbery funk synths, and Suleiman's incredible singing marries perfectly with the full-fat funk. Wewe is plush, warm, '80s-inflected but rendered in pristine high definition, the kind of jam that would achieve crossover success in a just world. There are many other shades to this record beyond party bangers. Uutu is a beautiful, beatless lullaby of cascading arps and swooning pads underpinned by a roaming, rounded bass undulation. Patosha also benefits from a gentle approach, with Suleiman as a kind of celestial voice calling out over a wide open plain. Her percussion intertwines with Fulton's electronic sprites in a beautiful symbiosis, while carefully placed piano chords drop a hint of bombast that remains just the right side of tasteful.

That said, this definitely an album to get up and move to. Kumenora and Usiogope are straight-up house tracks, albeit less thrilling than the hopped-up kuduro thump of "Aruka." Fulton's production strikes a sensitive cultural balance, fusing his style with Suleiman's in a way that never feels forced.