Edan previews the Poets of Rhythm Anthology on Daptone

Did anyone else in Manchester catch the Poets of Rhythm in Lammarr’s a few years back? A last minute gig but one of those landmark ones, with only a handful of people to enjoy it. People speak of these guys in hushed tones such is their legendary status, and this band-curated collection is a fitting tribute to their legacy. 

Order the anthology on ‘bookcase’ CD (with 20 page booklet) or gatefold LP (plus catch previews of the tracks) from Daptone here.

Below is a frankly ridiculous preview / cut up from the one and only EDAN.

“The band that convinced me soul music wasn’t dead.”   – Gabriel Roth

Before Daptone, there was Desco. Before Desco, there were The Poets of Rhythm.  Back in the ‘90s, a time when most of our ears were filled with the alternating din of angsty grunge and synthesized pseudo-soul, a couple of German kids unearthed a raw sound from our own back yard that we hadn’t even remembered burying. Though for a time they reveled in the borrowed nostalgia of bell-bottoms and fur coats, their style was always in spite of fashion, not because of it. They drew from the sound of old funk records, not as a mold, but as inspiration, understanding that sound would always be an origin of their music, but unlike many ‘soul revivalists’ to follow, they never settled for it as a destination.

As homage to the undeniably funky frontrunners of the modern soul movement, we are proud to present the definitive collection of Poets tunes, respectfully curated by Daptone staff and the band themselves.  It’s been twenty years since their first recording session, and this anthology celebrates their decade-long journey from the raw exuberant rebellion of ‘Funky Train’, to the moody hypnotic explorations of ‘Discern and Define’, and for the first time EVER on wax, the eerie, relaxed groover ‘Path of Life’ – A journey that truly earns them their name: The Poets of Rhythm.