Dance To the Best of Esg

This celebration of one of the best things birthed by the South Bronx — ever — is a fine overview of the early-‘80s minimalist funk outfit ESG. The four Scroggins sisters fused spare bass, guitar and polyrhythmic percussion with the percolating post-punk ethos of the time to churn out mesmerizing, minimalist grooves that were tough, sexy and exceptionally fresh sounding. The group’s 1981 debut EP, ESG, their 1983 LP Come Away With ESG, and their 1991 self-titled album are well represented here, with most tracks from those releases making the cut. Their ’81 debut, produced by Factory Records’ Martin Hannett, contained what are still essential ESG tracks, all found here: “You’re No Good,” “U.F.O.,” and “Moody.” The range of ESG’s material is summed up nicely by the sweet, coy, booty-shaker “My Love For You” from their early days (they owned that cowbell!) and 1991’s “Erase You,” a bristling send-off featuring one of the group’s signature, sticky choruses and plenty of hissing attitude. ESG represent an important moment in the timeline of post-punk street music, impacting rap, hip-hop, funk and rock in equal measure, and this is an excellent survey of their brilliance.