Every Moodymann album plays out like you're walking through some exotic bazaar - with colorful slices of deep house, jazz and gospel served up like jewels, amulets and rare fruits on display - however 2000’s Forevernevermore kicks off sounding like an actual bazaar on A1 cut “Meanwhile Back At Home,” luring you in with chanted vocals and entrancing synthesizer arps. But when you learn it’s a sample from Roots, you snap to the reality that - also like every other Moodymann record - there’s deeper, more meaningful forces at play. Forevernevermore is a wild ass journey; Kenny Dixon Jr. takes you on the ride of your life through the real Detroit circa Y2K - back streets, roller discos, the Motown museum and a small black church on the eastside - if you’re lucky you might even get to see the Prince house. "Wednesday Night People" is the pinnacle of jazzed-up KDJ deepness, albeit at a painfully short two minute runtime, this is music for real music lovers, not DJs! On the opposite side of the Kenny coin, "The Set Up" is a frenzied collage of discordant FM bass, atmospheric strings and Jamiroquai samples (you can almost taste the sweat coming off the MPC), with a blaxploitation snippet (or is it just Kenny?) that never fails to make me smile. "[Logo]" straddles that faultline between house and techno in a way no one else can (see also: "Dem Young Sconies"), while "Don’t You Want My Love" and "Your Sweet Lovin" are Kenny doing what he does best, and a nice break from all the opaque chicanery. "The Thief That Stole My Sad Days" is properly stretched out piano house with some heavenly vocals from close ally Norma Jean Bell, before breaking into an extended preacher sermon. Side D sports the loopy disco-infused title track and effervescent "Tribute," two of Moody’s most memorable tunes (finally, something long enough to DJ!). Recommended!

• smoky colored double vinyl pressing (please note: actual pressing color and packaging may differ from mock-up photo)
• includes obi-strip
• limited edition
• original release year: 2000
• music label: Peacefrog 2025

reviewed by miss abuse 06/2022