Grupo Batuque's
Rhythmix: Reluque Batuque is a collection of remixes handled by some of dance music's heavyweight producers.
Masters at Work,
Fauna Flash,
4hero,
Osunlade,
Jamie Anderson, and Zero dB are just some of the producers that not only rework material by the Brazilian percussion ensemble (which has ties to
Fania All-Stars and Azymuth), but they radically form it into what have become their own productions. Some of the tracks fade a little too easily into the background, but there's a handful that are pulled off beautifully.
Osunlade's "Na Batida Do Agogo" is the best of the bunch; it holds plenty of the producer's personality intact with a luscious, low-key feast of smooth keyboards and an array of percussive elements that jingle, shake, and jump. This compilation is something that major fans of the producers involved, Compost heads, and samba freaks will want to have. ~ Andy Kellman