Since its beginnings in 1998, FunkSoulNation has welcomed the finest names in disco, soul and funk, greeting the likes of Horse Meat Disco, Romare and Mo Kolours. Friday 5th February was no anomaly to such ingenious talent, as it was the turn of Fatima Yamaha to take to the stage in HiFi’s unique underground haven.
Following a warm up from weekly resident Sangria Kong, Leeds based producer, Bambooman, was the next to set the scene in HiFi’s cosy surroundings. Tantalising the crowd with a crafty use of textures and sounds, his rhythmically defined set created a smouldering soundscape, first to get the heads shaking and bodies moving.
Releasing music under numerous aliases for 15 years, Bas Bron aka Fatima Yamaha welcomingly transformed the atmosphere on a self-exploratory voyage of ‘A Girl Between Two Worlds’. Opening with ‘Sooty Shearwater, King of Migration’ from latest LP ‘Imaginary Lines’, Yamaha waltzed the stage delivering an endlessly seductive set, layered with masterfully selected sounds that contributed to HiFi’s ever intimate atmosphere. Under the Fatima Yamaha guise, Bron treated us to just 60 minutes, each tune as adeptly mixed as the last. The set blossomed and closed with the one and only, previously re-issued, ‘What’s a Girl to do’. 11 years on the scene, this song still gets the crowd saluting with open arms. Closing the night was Sam Toone. It was here that the crowd fully let loose and immersed themselves into the smoky setting, with all limbs, fingers and toes aloof, moving and grooving alongside Toone himself.
As the perfect location, nothing but appraisal can be given to FunkSoulNation’s latest party, although playing for just one hour, Fatima Yamaha could have spoiled us a little more, couldn’t he? Or is it she?
Ellie Wilson
Photo credits: Hifi