kaidi tatham: don't rush the process
Francisco Espregueira
Don't Rush The Process is the name of Kaidi Tatham’s 4th solo album under his own name, following on from An Insight To All Minds (2021), It's A World Before You (2018), and In Search Of Hope (re-pressed in 2020), all released on First Word Records, along with several EPs from 2017 onwards. A underground legend, a virtuoso of all sorts, the Belfast-based multi-instrumentalist has been reference to a diverse set of peers that include important names in their own fields: Madlib, Gilles Peterson, K15, Kyle Hall and many more. Don’t Rush The Process, adding to an already impressive catalogue, is a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky.
This new album opens with an intro of sweet strings on “Mystery Solved”, ahead of lead title track, which is on a mid-tempo boom bap vibe, before switching to a more uptempo boogie vein, with the assistance of The Easy Access Orchestra, who also appear on “We Chillin' Out”, which is on a similar boogie tip. “All I Need” is some gospel flavoured hip hop, whilst “Knocknee Donkey” steps things up in a jazz-funk fashion. The second half of the album takes on a very Brazilian flavoured stance, with a set of delicious latin flavoured grooves on “Any Flavour”, “Runnin' Tru”, “What A Dream” and “Sooretama”, the latter featuring the additional prowess of pianist Robert Mitchell. There's a touch more of the hip hop beats thrown in via “Funky Fool” and the album closes out in inimitable Kaidi style with a short message: “Mind Yourself”. All in all, this another diamond from one of the most prolific artists of our time. Don’t Rush The Process is to be savoured and replayed. Available on vinyl, courtesy of First Word Records.