Max Sedgley and The Shoots

Some reviews: "An essential summer album" - Album of the month ***** (IDJ mag) "An enviable grasp of bass-heavy electro-funk, sun-glazed soul and supafly disco. Fans of Michael Jackson, Funkadelic and Quincy Jones roll back those rugs right now." - **** (Time Out) "Max Sedgley brings the funk and much more....an entertaining collection that deserves the spotlight." **** (Evening Standard/Metro) "Frankly astonishing debut....mind-bending production values combine with real power to make a delightful, uplifting, seriously inspirational dance record." (Myvillage.com)

Max Sedgley's career to date has been a tale of unabashed talent, irregular bouts of what Hollywood folk like to call serendipity and bloody hard work. That the man behind 'Happy', one of this century's most enduring clarion calls, is blessed with an uncanny knack for fashioning infectious, dancefloor-slaying nuggets goes without saying. However, Sedgley has had to persevere - he's earned his rhythmical stripes alright.

Max was always going to be a drummer. As a baby he was always hitting things. As a budding young drummer at school, his music teacher was friendly with one of this country's greatest ever percussionists, James Blades who passed on his expertise to Max.

Having released tracks on labels such as Second Skin, Om, Irma and Cookin' Records, and having drummed with the likes of d'n'b guru Roni Size amongst many others, he is a man of unique talents. His aim to "combine the analogue and the digital; the real and the electronic" so that "no matter what style it was it would always seem current" has been achieved.

The now club classic 'Happy' which everyone seems to know, was adopted by the disparate likes of Mr Scruff, Gilles Peterson, Erol Alkan and Pete Tong, and the DJs at Radio 1 were all over it like a bad rash. The track of course went onto soundtrack the exploits of Wayne Rooney and company when ITV used it as their main theme for Euro 2004 and after spending 10 weeks being played at Radio 1 reaching the Top 30, it went on to sell a staggering 25,000 copies.

You could say that it has become Max’ signature tune but hold on…… Mr Sedgley is no one-trick pony: From The Roots To The Shoots (“It's something which represents my old school influences in the roots and then the shoots is the modern, the colourful and contemporary”) is clear evidence of that. It's a joyous listen; an album enthralled by the possibilities of sound - the album George Clinton would have made if he had been a white South Londoner with a disco fixation.

Live it sounds like the best disco workout. With Max in control, the beat will always go on.