
Martin 'Atjazz' Iveson has form when it comes to delivering brilliant albums (his debut album Labfunk, which turns 25 this year, is especially good). Even so, Starbase 17 is particularly special. It lands eight years after his previous full-length excursion, and you can tell. Packed with guests and collaborators new and old (Fred Everything, Ernesto, Kaidi Tatham, Karizma, Osunlade, Fred Everything, Clara Hill and Nathan Haines all feature), it takes his evocative, soul-fired and deliciously cultured signature sound into the stratosphere, blending elements of deep house with broken beat, nu-jazz, hip-hop, nods to Latin musical culture and a fantastic blend of organic and electronic instrumentation. A genuine epic at 27 tracks deep, it could well be Iveson's defining musical statement.