The Politik album review – Bêmbè Sêguè & Mark de Clive-Lowe

You might not have heard any debates or seen any rallies, but you’ll no doubt be already familiar with The Politik. For years, keyboardist Mark de Clive-Lowe and songstress Bêmbè Sêguè have elected to campaign on a soulful broken-beat ticket. With this in mind, you’d expect their musical manifesto to be awash with choppy, skewed rhythms, but with the inclusion of US MCs Blu, replife and Bahamadia (of Roni Size fame) other styles get a look in, too. P-funk underpins collaborations on Moonlight and Sweet but, in truth, the Stateside appearances only detract from Sêguè and de Clive-Lowe’s talents. The duo’s superbly funky Money (Don’t Let It Catch Ya) is already a staple of hip constituencies, while Black Sun, She’s Gone and the criminally short Mistaken showcase their unique brand of progressive soul — a policy that will undoubtedly win The Politik votes among more discerning party animals.