Soul Of Man

U.K.-based DJ/production duo Soul of Man were at the forefront of the late-'90s breakbeat uprising, founding the seminal label Finger Lickin' Records, which would release music by leading breakbeat acts such as <a href="spotify:artist:6Ebt7JHILWJCE7aR7JLFB2">Krafty Kuts</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2nd7OJPpqzx1K6GCNMVwUW">Lee Coombs</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1daC6WKGAm52YZbL5G7zYg">Plump DJs</a>. Soul of Man are comprised of Jem Panufnik and Justin Rushmore, who founded Finger Lickin' Records in 1998. Based in Camden, England, the label's office also functions as a record shop, café, and bar known as Vinyl Addiction/Bar Vinyl, where DJs spin nightly. Panufnik and Rushmore inaugurated Finger Lickin' Records with the debut Soul of Man 12" EP release, Love & Hate, in 1998, followed later in the year by another Soul of Man EP, Between the Eyes. In 1999 they made their DJ mix album debut as Soul of Man with Breakthru, Vol. 1: Revelation on the short-lived label Sixty Degrees North Records, followed later in the year by another mix album, It's a Finger Lickin' Thang, this one on their own label.

Meanwhile, Finger Lickin' released a steady stream of 12" EPs in 1998-1999 by breakbeat acts including <a href="spotify:artist:0sGO86F2PBfnzfryA24J3q">Osmosis</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6eJZVlHejayqAbGinTl5vE">Flint</a>, 2 Indabush, <a href="spotify:artist:2nd7OJPpqzx1K6GCNMVwUW">Lee Coombs</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1iZmf40YkDc584WTPMlImC">Freaky Jalapeno</a>, and El Loco Gringo. There were successive Soul of Man EPs on Finger Lickin' as well, including Serendipity (1999), Killa Brew (2001), Dirty Waltzer/Get It Girls (2002), The Drum/Acid Punch (2002), Back2Back (2003), Shake 'Em Down (2005), Mylowdowndirty/Foxy Moron (2005), Sukdat (2006), and Trouble! (2007). The highlights of these 12" releases were compiled on Re-Licked (2007), a double CD featuring previously released productions as well as newly commissioned remixes. Panufnik and Rushmore's production work was also showcased regularly on their mix albums, including It's a Finger Lickin' Thang, Vol. 2 (2001), 21st Century Breaks (2003), Y4K: Breakin' in tha House (2004), It's a Finger Lickin' Thang, Vol. 3 (2004), We Love It (2005), and It's a Finger Lickin' Thang, Vol. 4 (2006). ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi