Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Japanese talent DJ Koco aka Shimokita is a hardcore 45rpm devotee. They are his chosen tools as a beat-juggling DJ who can do logic-defying things with his grooves. He is a regal on Bloom and already dropped serious heat in January with 'World Famous'. This time he is back with a fresh take on 'Made In New York' which is a 1985 classic by renowned Brazilian funk and jazz pianist Tania Maria. He brings his signature hip-hop flair and creativity with his trusted crew, 45trio, and enlists the dynamic saxophonist King TJ (DA-Dee-MiX) to elevate things further.

Review: More quality grooves from Washington DC label specializing in reissuing obscure and unknown 70s and 80s dance music. This time around is Dreamcast who are Davon Bryant in conjunction with Swedish guy Sasac aka King Al. "Liquid Deep" is sexy late night deep funk the way it was always intended and Bryant's smooth as silk vocals are just like... Wow! So with Dreamcast on the vocals and Sasac on the beat, we are hoping there's more things on the way from this trans coastal duo in 2017.

Review: It's been a while since we last heard from Kinfolk, but the broad-sweeping label with cosmic chuggery in its bones is back with this powerful dose from Ess O Ess and Saulrichards. "Totem" is an epic track that rolls around in the muck somewhere between shoegaze extravagance, post-rock heaviness and psyched-out electronics. The "Swamp Crawl" version of the track keeps the guitars bedded deep within the mix, but there's space for more expressive synth work. Hardway Brothers take the track on a similarly rockist journey, but take their time building up to a climax. Otologic wrap things up with a deadly dub that will have low tempo trippers rubbing their hands with delight.

Review: On his new 12" for his own kickstarter label Cosada, easy riser Laseech beseeches us to dance. Jazzy, soulful house music enlists the emosh but unrushed voice of Swaylo, snaring the essence of heartfelt house in a power-of-three-tracks net. Awakening the legend Ron Trent from his slumber, his deep, percussive touch and copy-paste-happy vocal science adds a happily haphazard twist. Inspired by the melodic landscapes of the Adriatic, the inaugural label name "Cosada" holds out a personal meaning for Laseech, drawing from both an idyllic island and the street where his studio lies, symbolising his continued hope to make timeless music.

Review: Who can deny anything Roy Ayers, really? Japanese pianist and electronic music producer Kan Sano reworks the American soul, funk and jazz legend's infamous hit "Everybody Loves The Sunshine". He breaks down the sugar-dusted original into something freeform, downtempo and acid jazz leaning, while on the flip, "Music Overflow", sounds exactly like a production you would make after being inspired by sunshine, soul, Roy Ayers and a room full of drum machines and synthesisers.

Review: The latest golden nugget from Hayes-based soul specialists Expansion sees Phil Asher, The Mighty Zaf and 2000 Black take it in turns to rework one of the highlights of modern jazz-man Robb Scott's recent album, Siren. Asher and Zaf kick things off with a deliciously glassy-eyed jazz-funk-meets-soulful house revision that not only boasts a seriously loved-up, beat-free intro, but also tons of subtle instrumental solos. A radio edit of that rework is also available on the flip. That's where you'll find 2000 Black's brilliantly jazzy broken beat revision, which is every bit as sumptuous and musically rich as the West London duo's own productions.

Review: Smoove returns with another addition to his renowned Multitrack Rework series, offering a stripped-down bass and drums workout to open, with a seven-minute version of 'Engine Number 9'. The flipside sees him take on a classic with an extended reworking of 'Got To Be Real', starting with an open drum intro before breaking down the brass arrangements and highlighting the impeccable vocal harmonies. As usual, Smoove's deep understanding of groove and arrangement shines through, making this a must for anyone who appreciates his masterful touch on the funkier side of reworks.

Review: First he asked us to follow him, then he asked us if we wanted to find to find him. Now he's asking us to move closer... Steve Spacek's Eglo series has been a remarkable trip so far as he continues to illustrate unseen pictures with far-out, unbounded sounds and arrangement. "Mov Clsr" is the steamy dreamy soul number while "Garage Days" unravels the usually tightly wound two-step into a much spacier, dreamy affair, "Boo Boo Step" is a trip into the heart of an old BBC Micro computer while "Nano Nights" closes on a flighty 160BPM step session where lights twinkle and cascade with fluorescent fun. No one makes music like Spacek. Beautiful.

Review: Aksel Schaufler set out to release his new opus entitled Golden Ravedays throughout the entirety of 2017, two tracks at a time. Now up to its eighth volume, Hippie Dance (the label he runs with good buddy Rebolledo) presents the latest installment in this Superpitcher concept series. On the first side, prepare to tune in and drop out to the Balearic drifter "Tuesday Paris Texas" which like its name may suggest does have a Ry Cooder vibe about it; with its twangy bluesy country guitars over a chugging/skeletal metallic beat. All the the while assisted by Schaufler's nefarious whispers. On the flip there's another 15 minutes of glory in the form of "Mirage". This is a psychedelic epic much in the vein of the album's previous volumes, but with a more funky upbeat groove channelling his love of all things early 70s.

Review: The final edition of Aksel Schaufler's ambitious Golden Ravedays project is finally upon us. For many this series will be remembered as one of the most defining musical aspects of 2017, where each month one tremendous 12' after another would come our way and essentially creating a wonderful soundtrack to a very special year: a zeitgeist, if you will! From balearica to new wave Krautrock and cosmic psychedelica to straight up house bombs: the series encapsulates Schaufler's unerring dedication to his craft which has spanned close to 20 years and his seen him become synonymous with the the famed Kompakt imprint and enduring success with his Hippie Dance label. On the A side is the dreamy spaghetti western feel of "Late Night Skanking" with its mesmerizing orchestral sections and otherworldly instrumentation taking you deep into the exotic. On the flip there's some bold and stylish indie-dance on the low slung tip with "Punky Reggae Party" which really nails that Cologne/Dusseldorf style vibe because after all - that was his former stomping ground, before he relocated to Paris.

Review: February 2020 marks the tenth anniversary of the release of Gil Scott-Heron's final studio album "I'm New Here", a set that was later brilliantly reworked by Jamie XX in 2011 ("We're New Here"). To celebrate the album's tenth birthday, XL Recordings has decided to offer up "We're New Again", a fresh "reinterpretation" of the Richard Russell produced set by contemporary jazz hero and beat-maker Maya McCraven. His vision is loose, languid, deep and jazzy, with languid jazz drumming, tight hip-hop beats, soft-touch instrumentation, liquid jazz solos and funk-fuelled basslines combining beneath Scott-Heron's gravelly spoken word vocals. It's an inspired re-invention all told and one fully in keeping with the essence of Scott-Heron's own work. In other words, it's a must-have.

Review: It's been nearly seven years since Lennard van der Last AKA Secede last appeared on vinyl, and that was in the company of collaborator Reimer "Kettel" Eising. Up until that point, he'd released fine fare on a regular basis, with 2005's "Tryshasla" album arguably being the most acclaimed of the lot. If you missed out first time round (and many of us did), help is at hand via this first ever vinyl edition of the previously digital-only album. It remains a fine set, with van der Last drifting between drowsy, liquid ambience, crackling, spaced-out electronica, woozy soundscapes, post trip-hop bliss, sunrise drum and bass and melancholic, Erik Satie style piano compositions. In other words, it's ace.

Review: Bridging the gap between guitar-driven rock and ambient techno - they would later become the first artist to bring guitars to Warp Records - Seefeel skillfully blended electronic loops with post-psychedelic basslines, mermaid-like vocals from Sarah Peacock and intelligent percussion. Their debut album for Too Pure in 1993 was both ahead of its time and timeless, offering a quiet revolution of repetition and downtempo somnolent soundscape, a record that remains beautifully undated. Tracks like 'Imperial'. 'Industrious' and 'Charlotte's Mouth' demonstrate Seefeel's knack for using guitars as electronic complements, layering hypnotic smears of feedback with Peacock's intimate whispers. The eight-minute opener, 'Climatic Phase No. 3', floats with barely-there percussion and a lazy, dreamy melody, while 'Filter Dub' delivers a sublime, drowsy bass line perfect for slipping into sleep. The album's structure leans into drone and quirky ambience, creating an experience more akin to a dream state than a traditional rock record. Quique feels proto-IDM, a precursor to the ambient-motorik noise-pop aesthetic that artists like Tim Hecker and Mouse on Mars would explore. Seefeel's early work remains a blueprint for electronic experimentation, demonstrating that the band's forward-thinking approach helped define a genre that continues to defy easy categorisation. Quique is not just a product of the 90s - it's a sonic vision that still feels fresh and boundary-pushing today.

Review: The Situation collective, led by Mr. Mulatto and Frank Situation, returns with their new album Audio Proxemics. It's a rich, genre-blurring journey across nine tracks of soulful nu-disco, jazz-infused house and broken beat featuring global collaborators like Javonntte, Venessa Jackson and Faze Action's Robin Lee. The album highlights Situation's deep musical roots with live instrumentation that ranges from shimmering keys to brassy horns and guitars which elevate each track beyond mere tool status. From the club-ready sparkle of 'Mrs Donovan' to the sun-drenched groove of 'Bullit,' this is a warm, musical celebration perfect for summer days and late-night sessions.

Review: Should you be that travel agent searching for the original sound of 60s-70s in your funk, soul, psychedelic rock and folk today, then Will Dorey, aka Skinshape, is your partner in time. Tracks on the album sometimes comes across as easy to compare with a stream of other admired acts like Air ("After Midnight") to Beck and Australia's Tame Impala on "Metanoia" and "Life As One". Throughout the LP, furthermore, Skinshape's fourth, it's hard to not escape hints of French inspirations in its sometimes jazzy inspirations, with flickers of the 1973 soundtrack to the film La Planete sauvage (Fantastic Planet) never too far off. A highly recommended listen!

Review: Seven years since the last Smith & Mudd album kissed our ears... Gorthlek is a long-awaited treat that's landed (by no coincidence we suspect) right at the start of prime sandy season. Picking up where they left us (together and as part of the Bison collective), it's every bit as soul soothing, soft-focus and poised as you'd expect. It's the weight and richness that will grab most fans the hardest; amid the floral pastoral instrumentation on tracks such as "Alrick" and "Gorthlek Part 1", there's real swampy bluesy fusion such as "Mr Coats", there's fiddle-flipping cosmic folk on "Enos" and naked piano striking drama on the closure "Gorthlek Part 2". Instrumental Balearic bliss.

Review: For their first album away from spiritual home Claremont 56, Ben Smith and Paul "Mudd" Murphy have decided to put a decidedly Balearic slant on the kind of atmospheric and quirky music that once was the mainstay of library music stalwarts KPM Records. Given their influences and seemingly innate ability to create heart-stopping, mind-soothing soundscapes, it's a canny move. Certainly, the music contained on "Tea With Holger" is impeccable, combining picturesque guitar and piano motifs with lilting easy listening orchestration, heady choral vocals, razor sharp strings and nods to various well-known TV and film soundtrack styles. Yet for all the knowing nods to old library music sounds, it's the quality of the duo's emotive and inspiring compositions that stands out.

Review: Smoove props up his rep as a highly consistent big beat, funk and disco crossover producer with a freight-class shipment of 'Heavy Goods'. Somersaulting out from his Geordie soul group Smoove & Turrell - on top of his sought-after multi-track vinyl re-edits, as well as his remixing prowess across hip-hop, soul, and funk - this Jalapeno Records follow-up continues Smoove's recent favourite postal theme. Indeed, the postal system is what keeps us afloat (and cue the boundless irony of Royal Mail's latest sale to a Czech billionaire, the name of whose LLC is, apropos of online music retail, "EP Group"). Betty Black & The Family Fortune, Emma Noble, Kraak & Smaak, Izo FitzRoy, The High & Mighty, and Bahama Soul Club, all are all loaned Smoove's Pygmalion hand, honing a musing work of art from many a die-cut classic. Whirlwind D's 'Labels', Izo Fitzroy's 'Blind Faith' and TGH Collective's 'Higher Collective' are special versions too. Assuming you didn't already know the songs in question, you really wouldn't be able to tell the edit jobs from the originals. Mint condition!

Review: Space Ghost has most recently been spotted dropping excellent albums "Aquarium Nightclub" and "Endless Light" on Tartelet, but now he's made a swerve for Funkineven's Apron Records to drop this sultry collection of jams that match bittersweet keys with rubbery bass and plenty of crooked funk that calls to mind broken beat and boogie as much as house music. From the swanging funk of "Prayer For U" to the slow jam New Jack Swing of "Mystery Angel", this is an album that champions some great eras of black music very much in the vein of Apron overall, but still says its own thing. Soulful at every turn and finished with an '80s digital veneer so slick you could trip on it.

Review: An integral figure on the Motor City scene for the best part of two decades, Specter has always been a particularly prolific producer. Built To Last - appearing on Theo Parrish's significant Sound Signature label - is his first album-length excursion. It offers an expansive summary of his inspirations and influences - many will notice subtle nods towards local deep house, techno and electro heroes, as well as more experimental synthesizer music, off-kilter electronic jazz-funk, deep space dub and eyeliner-clad early '80s synth-wave - while also showcasing a trademark sound that's every bit as dusty, warm, loose and lo-fi as his lauded Detroit peers.

Review: Sth. Notional was a short-lived project that manifested in one album back in 1992, originally released on Japanese label Zero Corporation. Yawn Yawn Yawn focused primarily on various Balearic-friendly mixes of the title track and some other scattered pieces, and now they've received a much-needed spruce up from Archeo Recordings. The "Dream... Another Reality" versions of "Yawn Yawn Yawn" are laid back to the extreme, revolving around delicate instrumentation and occasional threads of speech and singing. There's a mellow beat behind the "G-Tar Cannyon Mix," and the "Thankful Mix" brings a weightier groove to the table. With the other tracks adding to this utterly smooth, early 90s shake, and spread across three discs, this is the holy grail reissue collectors have been waiting for.

Review: With A Real Piece Of Work, Stillhead helps Brightest Dark Place reach into the "hazy, blurred overlap between techno and ambient", throwing a suspension chord between two bluffs over a vast sonic chasm, and letting terse rhythms monkey-swing across it, letting reverb bellow from below. This is an equally dynamic but intense listening experience, proving that vast, chasmic sound design need not chafe against dynamic buoyancy: the two can coexist. Keeping to about 170BPM, the Edinburgh DJ marks his sixth release here, and it is an impressive logical extension from 2022's comparable mission statement Restraint And Reverb: 'The Red Ball' suspends a sampled 'Funky Drummer' over an atoll of sub compulsions, while 'A Light Thump On The Head' stretches a classic future garage rhythm over a telegraphic void, with dispersive, long-decaying results.