October: 18 albums you need to hear this month

Crooked Man 'Crooked Man' (DFA)

Richard Barratt, aka DJ Parrot, is a true UK legend. From his start at Sheffield’s legendary Jive Turkey club in the 80s, he’s released epoch-defining bleep’n’bass records as half of Sweet Exorcist (helping to cement the success of WARP Records in the process), formed a third of All Seeing I, worked with Róisín Murphy, Jarvis Cocker and The 2 Bears, and put out plenty of cult 12”s under various aliases. He’s always remained very much in the shadows, though – but that might change now that DFA have given him a platform. This album collects Crooked Man singles going back to 2012, along with a bunch
of new tracks, and it’s simply a masterpiece.

It’s fundamentally rooted in early house music – there are haunting Robert Owens-ish vocals, warm basslines and that perfect combination of heartbreak and optimism in mood and lyrics throughout – but it’s in no way retro. Whether it’s a skippy garage shuffle (‘Fools And Fanatics’), a slow Carl Craig-ish space voyage (‘Try Me’) or a hands-in-the-air singalong (‘Happiness’), every track positively shines with studio inventiveness. As a producer, Barratt is the equal of anyone working today, but what’s most amazing is that even after 30-plus years, he still seems to be as connected with the magic of dancefloor moments as he ever was.

8/10