HUDSON, MOHAWKE

There are few young UK artists who can unite the affections of Chris Brown, Flying Lotus, Just Blaze, Battles and The Weeknd--however that's just the effect Hudson Mohawke's neon-lit take on postmodern R&B has on people. The Glaswegian producer's ascent has been swift and steady over the past few years. The one-two punch of the Polyfolk Dance EP and full-length Butter has made fans not only out of wide eyed clubgoers, but also the kind of critical minds in the position to make grand statements. One such grand statement in a recentissue of The Guardian called Hudson Mohawke ''the new J Dilla'' while placinghim atop a new generation of producers including Mark Ronson and Jamie xx. On 2009's Butter, HudMo took in a spectrum of influences ranging from Cybotron and Outkast to Aaliyah and Prince. Satin Panthers casts just as wide a net in its five tracks, with a particular eye on the energy of early rave records. Fusing the sound of contemporary American R&B and the still-present specter of classic UK rave may sound like an obvious proposition, but nowhere has it been executed so well as here.