Another Late Night

Given the success of their own groove-laden approach, Rae & Christian are the most obvious choices so far for contributors to the Anotherlatenight series. As they have previously collaborated with the likes of soul legend Bobby Womack, it's little surprise that vintage funk is their main focus. Starting with the imposing horns of Trendsetter's "Heavy Worker," every move from sleazy disco (Joshua's "Come On") to Latin boogaloos (Aromadozeski Therapy's "Strudel Strut") via easy downtempo (Riton's "Put That On My Momma") and high-tech electro (Mr. Scruff's mix of Capoeira Twins' "Four") is covered with panache. It all rounds up in a glorious climax, as flamenco guitarist Jose Feliciano picks his way through an aching cover of the Mamas and the Papas classic "California Dreaming." With so much funk and so many breakbeats on display, this third installment of Anotherlatenight is as much a gift to disillusioned hip-hop heads as it is dance-floor-weary clubbers in search of something stylish to unwind to. Low-slung and willfully eclectic, it's also every inch a Rae & Christian album. --Dan Gennoe