A Gospel Excursion, Vol. 1

Excursions was set-up by First Word founder DJ Gilla late in 2016 to try to transpose a little of the vibe that is conjured up on the dancefloor at Excursions club events in London. A concoction of genres and styles chopped up, these releases emulate this ethic of good-time sonic-splicing across many a sound, from deep worldly breaks, to shameless soulful boogie. The releases on Excursions are crafted for the DJ and the booty-shaker alike - plain and simple party-vibes on one foot, elusive cut-ups created as a nod to the more discerning crate-digger on the other. Joyous excursions all round.

For our fourth release, we're pleased to welcome The Showfa inside the Excursions kitchen, to cook us up something sizzling for your mind, body & soul. Wielding a nifty set of disco scissors, he's selected the finest of gospel cuts and brought them neatly to the boil, serving up some soul food of the highest calibre.

Taking us to church straight off the bat, 'Thankful' builds and builds along an infectiously uplifting piano-heavy hook; an edit that bubbles away effortlessly akin to a Moodyman-esque disco groove, perfectly crafted for the dancefloor.

Already finding its way into the crates of selectors such as Gilles Peterson, Horse Meat Disco and Patrick Forge and Tony Humphries, it's also received love in Mixmag and across the airwaves, from NTS to Mi-Soul to Rinse FM.

Another essential Excursion on wax, and one that will never leave the box.