There's something strange about Berlin-based electronica group Jahcoozi, but in the absolutely best way. A duo consisting of Sri Lankan-born MC Sasha Perera and Israeli musician Oren Gerlitz, Jahcoozi sounds not a thing like what their nationalities' traditional music. Instead, their funky electronica is layered with hip-hop delivered in a thick and hoarse East London voice that sounds more akin to Lady Sovereign or Dizzee Rascal than anything to come out of Berlin.

This is particularly surprising because neither of the band's members' native language is English. So one wonders where the lyrics are coming from, which are all clever and delivered in perfectly idiomatic English.

Jahcoozi's 2007 album, Blitz N Ass, grows increasingly more hip-hop influenced as the album progresses. Beginning with the very high energy funk track "BLN," the album begins to take a decidedly more hip-hop turn by "Getyoshitout," and then by the time it reaches "Talkin' Your Street" halfway through, it has completed its transformation into a funky hip-hop album.

But for all the genre bending, it is surprisingly cohesive. In fact, it is one of the most sophisticated Berlin electronic albums to come out lately because it is plays with so many genres smartly and manages to create an album that doesn't sound like a mixtape.

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