Sonny J is the new Gnarls Barkley or, more to the point, the new Fatboy Slim. Samples, Soul and a Big Beat served up in neat dance tunes. Get your slice while it’s hot.

‘Disastro’ is this year’s ‘You’ve Come A Long Way Baby’, Fatboy Slim’s landmark 1998 album. From the title track ‘Disastro’ with its funky drums to ‘I’m So Heavy’ to the first single ‘Can’t Stop Moving’, the similarities are striking. The 1960’s Soul influences, the fast moving cut-up style and the funky break beats link Sonny J and Fatboy Slim hits like ‘Rockafeller Skank’ and ‘Praise You’.

It’s true, taking elements of old Soul records can result in ace dance tunes. Fatboy Slim’s ‘98 material or Firstborn’s ‘The Mood Club’ from around the same time illustrate the point. Listen to Sonny J’s new single ‘Hands Free (If You Hold My Hand)’ to hear the latest prove that Soul Power still moves dance floors!

All in all, this is a pretty impressive debut album. There are some fillers, but the whole thing is so fresh that you might even knock some fun out of the lesser tracks on ’Disastro’.

Listen to tracks from ‘Disastro’ or download the album in MP3 format from iTunes.

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