Jimi Tenor - Intervision (1997) [Japanese Edition]

Tenor's lead-up singles to his full-length Warp debut -- "Outta Space" and "Can't Stay With You Baby," as well as the track "Downtown," included on the Warp mixed session Blechsdottir -- only hinted at where he'd head with this album. An almost uncharacteristically schmaltz-less collection of minimal electronic jazz, Intervision blends fat organ leads with horns, raw and treated vocals, and rhythmic and percussive figures drawn from '60s and '70s soul, funk, fusion, and psychedelia, as well as contemporary house, downbeat, and techno. Oddly (or not), the album was recorded using only ancient Russian analog gear, in a former Communist dancehall. -- Sean Cooper