Mungo's Hi Fi / Marina P Soul Radio

Mungo's Hi Fi cement their long-standing connection with Italian-born, Paris-based singer Marina P, by releasing eagerly awaited concept album Soul Radio. Over six years in the making, Soul Radio is an ambitious representation of the artistic fullness of Marina P, expanding into multiple genres while keeping its roots in rocksteady, reggae and ska. Born in Italy to jazz loving parents, Marina P travelled to Paris to get involved in its music scene. Word reached Mungo's HiFi of this rising singer with a cool yet emotive tone, and the Scottish sound system and label reached across the Channel to voice her on their industrial strength Belly Ska riddim. The result was 2007's massive and enduring Divorce l'Italienne, which was included on Mungo's 2009 Sound System Champions LP. That track is present on Soul Radio, alongside an inspired rocksteady cover of Smashing Pumpkins' Soma, plus ska smash, And The Beat Goes SKA!, an adaptation of Sonny and Cher's And The Beat Goes On. Having worked up a sweat on the ska and rocksteady dancefloor, the album relaxes into a more chilled space, with the haunting Nice To Meet You and the serene Great Wave. These calming, secluded sonic spaces combine Mungo's forward-thinking production with a retro 90s-meets-50s, triphop-in-a-jazz club nostalgia. Taken as a whole, Soul Radio celebrates Marina P's depth and versatility as an artist. It's also the perfect soundtrack to both the night before - and the morning after.