The Deenmamodes are a musical dynasty the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Coltranes. Doing for Mauritian-indebted, percussion-drenched improve jams what John and Alice did for…well the whole of music, Mo Kolours, Reginald Omas Mamode IV and Jeen Bassa are an enigmatic force to be reckoned with. Even more in the shadows is one more relative, now welcomed to the 22a fold.
James ‘Creole’ Thomas is the elder cousin to the brothers, residing in Port Louis in Mauritius, via Haiti and Louisiana. He’s worked in the background on Reggie’s first two albums, but Omas Sextet LP represents is first release, helped by a full Deenmamode lineup. Given his lineage, you can guess the blend: jazz, hip-hop, soul and broken beat with deep outernational flavours across 16 tracks of beats, jams and interludes. We had seven on our shortlist to premiere but it was that devilish double bass on ‘Earth’ that pipped it.
Omas Sextet LP is out 4th May – buy from Bandcamp.
