Luke Una – É Soul Cultura Volume 2 (2xLP)

"É Soul Cultura Vol.1" seemed to come out at just the right time. After Lockdown, optimism was back and dance floors were swelling again. For many listeners, Manchester-based DJ Luke Una's fascinating mesh of new, old, rare and undiscovered music from around the world was the soundtrack to a rejuvenated positivity.

This second volume is another opportunity for Luke to share his journey of the last four decades to stay up and get transcendental while listening to holy grail music while the city slept. Sometimes venturing into the deeper, spiritual, soulful, experimental aspects of his preferences. From the conscious street soul fusion gospel of Veronica Mickie's "Lost Children" to a foray into Swiss psychedelic progressive rock in the form of Pyranha, to the classic Indian music inspired electronic workout of Andi Otto's "Bangalore Whispers". Luke shows his softer side in Avis, a sweet, obscure cover of Minnie Riperton's "Baby, This Love I Have," and he sits down for Manchester local Yargo and their driving, obscure proto-house song "Marimba."

There's also Japanese electronic slo-mo heaviness from 1979's Bach Revolution. House -music is an integral part of the É Soul sound and is represented by Nav Aktah's deep remix of Mr. Scruff, and then there's Isi's "In Essense"; a track of such majestic brilliance that it's never out of Luke's pocket. The selection is eclectic, global, and plucked from different times and spaces. In theory, maybe they shouldn't go together, but there's a mysterious connection that makes them whole. This is what Luke does best. He creates a kind of musical alchemy that unites the disparate.