Slakah The Beatchild represents the evolution of the enigmatic producer. Five years ago the urban landscape was ruled by the super production gods. Names like Dre, The Neptunes, Timbaland and Dilla (R.I.P.) conjure up visions of walking celestial beings blessing us with musical gems. Then the internet came and completely changed the producer paradigm. In the past the artist/producer title was a choice, now it's a prerequisite as musicians struggle to stay relevant in the hearts and minds of 'gimme, gimme', attention-deficient listeners. If an artist is going to get by in '08 they have to be a musical multi-tasker and Slakah fits perfectly into that lane. He's a musical chameleon whose gifts are only truly realized in the presence of other talented artists and musicians.

This is why The Soul Movement Vol. 1 is such an effective introduction his budding abilities. Featuring collaborations from the cream of Canada's burgeoning talent (Drake, Tona, Divine Brown, Shad, Melanie Durrant, Ray Robinson, Ebrahim and so many others) the album is feel-good new soul with enough of a world-inflected influence to keep it fresh. It's an ALBUM! Meaning the songs are built to complement and augment each other so grabbing one or two songs and popping them into your I-pod won't do this soulful effort justice. Standout tracks are Enjoy Ya Self, Get Down Right, The Answer, Crate Love, B-boy Beef, I'll Be Alright & Bad Meaning Good.

The album's six featured interludes are of the Shit-I-wish-this-was-a-full-song variety so when you add those to the aforementioned songs you realize The Soul Movement Vol.1 is really worth enjoying in its entirety (sorry attention-deficient kids!). If you come from the 'Go to the store, buy the album, go home, sit back and listen while reading the liner notes' era then The Soul Movement Vol. 1 is an album you'll readily add to your collection. If you're from the 'Go to the internet, find new music and throw it into my I-pod blender' era, then this album is a great introduction to a different (some may even say better) soul-listening experience. - Ty Harper