Phonk D Shir Khan Presents Black Jukebox 31

Phonk D is back on Exploited’s hallowed Black Jukebox series following the success of his #29 takeover earlier this year. You just can’t keep a good man down... ‘Let’s Shake’ leads the way with serious funk intent, mixing a thumping MJ-esque bassline with some of that late ‘70s / early ‘80s synth magic. Phasing guitar licks sidle up against spunky horn swells and sassy vocal blasts. It’s a track that has ‘party-starter’ written all over it. ‘Reality Dance’ is a chuggier beast, building slowly through looping guitar-and-bass plucks until a feel-good melody emerges. This low-slung, low-tempo groove is in no hurry to lay out its funky machinations, making for a perfect early-evening floor-filler as cocktail glasses clink and glitterballs bling. ‘Players Anthem’ chunks things up with conga-inflected groove and an arpeggiated bassline throb underpinning swooning female vocal harmonies. It rocks a simple arrangement that lets the groove do the talking, with sustained string notes adding an element of tension at the requisite moments. ‘No Limits’ sees Phonk D team up with old sparring partner Sascha Ciminiera for another hot collab. The bouncing off-beat groove pumps pleasingly in classic disco fashion, with a joyous mood built through Rhodesy chords and a scintillating synth line. Swelling horns are buried deep in the mix in the second half to help propel the track highe