Kinetika Bloco are a phenomenon – over the last 20 years the percussion-and-horn-heavy collective have evolved their own irresistible version of carnival music, drawing on the many traditions of the Black Atlantic, while acting as a hothouse of talent development for generations of young London musicians: notable alumni include Nubya Garcia, Theon Cross, Sheila Maurice Grey, Artie Zaitz, Ife Ogunjobi, David Mrakpor, Reuben James, and trumpeter and bandleader Mark Kavuma, who returns to support his old mentors by putting out their debut album on his Banger Factory label, newly founded for the express purpose of supporting this fertile scene.

Proceedings start off with a bang - their version of ‘Caravan’ re-invigorates the jam session warhorse with the propulsive dembow groove and punchy horns you’d expect from contemporary carnival but with swirling organ added to expand the palette.

Things really lift off when ‘Remedy’ presents a tuba and percussion driven reggae groove with lush horns, steel pan and some cutting solos that captures the energy of the collective beautifully and makes their London-to-Caribbean roots explicit; ’Commander’s Call’ evokes the spirit of soca, and ‘Papa Fox’ adds more hammond and guitar for an uplifting gospel feel. Notable interjections come from Kavuma himself, Kaidi Akinnibi on alto, and veteran trumpeter Claude Deppa, while the legacy of Kinetika founder Matthew John Fox is directly represented by his son Ruben, who contributes arrangements and an outstanding tenor sax solo on ‘Honesty’. There are some spoken word inspirational exhortations in ‘The Ted Williams Villanelle’ reminding us that Kinetika Bloco are a registered charity and their good works are manifest, but there’s nothing didactic or self-consciously worthy about this release – it’s a truly joyous recording that captures the spirit of young London and demonstrates why it’s such a wellspring of creative musical talent.