Mo Fingaz - Gusto (2020)

Raised in Bath, based in London, Mo Fingaz has been DJing multi-genre sets since the early noughties at clubs & festivals across the UK and Europe.

‘Gusto’ is Mo Fingaz first full-length project; a 15 track collection of beats and compositions produced over the past two years. Lo-fi hip hop instrumentals crafted together with love, analog drum machines, samplers, live instruments and dusty old vinyl. After being sat on these beats for a minute, it finally feels like time to let them off into the ether.

Primarily a project that delivers crisp crunchy boom bap, with heavy doses of jazz and soul, and nods to various other genres throughout. The rhodes-laden ‘Groove Definition’ sets the tone, leading into an interpolation of a classic; one simply called ‘Reggie’. ‘Timecode’ raises up the SP1200 bit-crush levels some more, whilst tracks like ‘Astro’ and the album closer ’Netta’ take things a little deeper. The lead track ‘Gusto’ delivers skippier half-time jungle funk drums, with live bass played by his father and guitar by J-Felix atop the track. ‘Thirty-Eight’ and ‘1991 Broadway’ harp back to classic jazz-hop of the golden era, whilst ‘Booooj’ adds a little dancehall swagger into the equation, before the classy string section of ‘Uptown’ swings into play.

This album is unashamedly one to nod your head to, and not one to be sleeping on.