Review:
Since launching at the tail end of the noughties, Sofrito label has tickled the fancy of a wide range of DJs, with releases regularly topping the Juno sales charts. It's no fluke. By joining the dots between the past and the present and offering listeners formidable, floor-flaying material tailor-made for open-minded dancefloors, Sofrito has picked up a reputation as a must-buy label - a notoriously tricky feat in these days of falling sales and digital overload. Here, they return to Strut for a second compilation. Whereas the first, 2011's Tropical Discotheque, had a distinct theme, Sofrito International Soundclash takes a more wide-ranging approach. The results are predictably enjoyable and deliciously heavy. Opening with the classic Soca of Lord Shorty & Vibrations International, the album moves through world music styles past and present at a furious rate. The whole thing is gloriously upbeat and very, very memorable. Aside from the enthusiasts that gather at Sofrito parties in London and Paris, where many of these tracks are dancefloor staples, few will know much about many of these styles of music, let alone the artists who make them. But that's the point: through International Soundclash, the Sofrito crew are opening our eyes and ears to brilliant sounds we never knew existed. For that reason alone, this comes highly recommended.