Back catalogue: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul

Review: Edit king and remix master Joaquin Joe Claussell's 'Ancestral Food & Healing Medicine' 12" first dropped in 2020 and became another one of his instant classics. It found him taking things to an all-new level with the reuses all best heard on loud systems when it is impossible not to be enraptured by a religious experience of gel and soul-infused sound. The therapeutic grooves heal you to your core with their uplifting synths and meaningful messages. For that reason, an original copy has become rather experience but fear not as this new reissue allows you to cop these sounds in nice new red wax.

Review: Brazilian jazz trio Caixa Cubo are one of the modern scene's most acclaimed outfits. Their latest album arrives in Europe via Heavenly Recordings and it has a sound to match. Made up of Henrique Gomide on keys, Joao Fideles on drums and Noa Stroeter on bass, the group has been awarded scholarships to study at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Netherlands so spends plenty of time over in Europe as well as back home. Thankfully though, they embrace the rich musical traditions of their home land and fuse elements of Azymuth with darker moods with new school greats like Yussef Kamael to make for a record full of both highs and lows, intense grooves and more laidback tunes.

Review: Venezuelan producer and multi-instrumentalist Caribombo is back with his new album Barrio Popular and it's a true outlier, that would be hard to put into any specific existing category. From the African Salsa dancer 'Bolingo' to the global club banger 'El Catire', Barrio Popular is as much a floor filler than a deep listen; an eclectic journey that draws on the French African and South-Asian diasporas' musical cultures to create colourful pieces of Dance music inspired by the artist's Colombo-Venezuelan heritage. Cumbia, dub, Afro-House, Afro-Venezuelan music, UK bass, favela funk, salsa, downtempo and hip-hop are among the numerous genres Caribombo effortlessly explores in this new, mature and surprisingly coherent project, where organic sounds harmoniously meet impeccably produced electronic beats and skilful Latin drumming. A musical adventure to the world's popular neighbourhoods, featuring guest rising stars from Mexico, Uganda, Venezuela, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the UK.

Review: Francisco Mora Catlett is a Mexican drummer, composer and educator. He began his musical career in Mexico City where he worked as a session musician for Capitol Records between 1968-1970. He left with Sun Ra in 1973 and worked with him until 1980. While in Detroit in 1987, he released his first album as a leader, the Pan-Afro project "Mora!". Mora II continues the concept of the first album, with wife Teresa Mora on vocals and trumpet legend Marcus Belgrave, This follow up album has finally been given a high quality vinyl reissue by London's Far Out Recordings.

Review: Much like Basquiat with his distinctive tools, Christophe Chassol blends, samples, and integrates elements from both ancestral and popular cultures to create a unique musical art form. His innovative approach has earned him praise from Terry Riley and recognition from contemporary artists like Xavier Veilhan and Sophie Calle and made him highly sought after by pop producers such as Frank Ocean and Solange Knowles. Chassol has pioneered truly original music in a world often dominated by repetition and his latest project, inspired by Basquiat's lesser-known painting Action Comics" debuted at the Philharmonie de Paris. Collaborating with his family and featuring his drummer Mathieu Edward, Chassol presents an "ultrascore" here that blends family and artistic influences alongside performances of his previous works.

Review: Children of Zeus' sophomore LP Balance takes the blueprint of their debut and evolves it into a deeper and more refined sound. The British duo of Konny Kon and Tyler Daley hail from Manchester and incorporate soul music with hip hop, neo-soul, gospel and R&B with help from Grammy award winning producer Beat Butcha, with rising UK soul talents Akemi Fox and Georgie Sweet contributing guest vocals. The definitive sound of UK street soul in 2021.

Review: Stones Throw alumni Rejoicer hooks up with longtime collaborator and Apifera bandmate Nitai Hershkovits as Cinema Royal for a new self-titled album that is refined yet bold and quietly commands attention. Rooted in modern classical, it blends ambient, jazz and global orchestration with piano-led compositions intertwined with synths, Afrobeat drums, East Asian zithers and Ethio-jazz keys. This global sound is effortlessly fused and inspired by film scores that evoke Fellini's moody cinematic excellence. Despite its complexity, the music feels light and playful here and is driven by improvisation. Cinema Royal thrives on deep creative flow and is enriched by contributions from close collaborators.

Review: A decade after its original release, Chiara Civello's Canzoni album is finally available on vinyl in a deluxe double LP edition with a gatefold sleeve. This record is known for having showcased Civello's talent as an interpreter and it solidified her place on international stages. Fusing Italian musical tradition with genres like Northern soul, bossa nova, blue-eyed soul, jazz and pop, the record was produced by Nicola Conte and recorded in analogue across Bari, New York and Rio de Janeiro. Featuring extraordinary guests like Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, Ana Carolina, Esperanza Spalding and orchestrations by Eumir Deodato, Canzoni remains as rich a listen as ever.

Review: This life-affirming new record from Down Under is a fine celebration of soul, broken beat, house and jazz that brims with rhythmic percussion, dynamic synths and syncopated basslines. Close Counters' effortless instrumentation shines throughout as paired with intricate production that maintains energy while allowing spaciousness with plenty of drum power. The album highlights the band's collaborative spirit with standout performances from Lyric Jones, Tiana Khasi, Allysha Joy, Jace XL, Shiv and others while the presence of Adam Halliwell of Mildlife on the opener further enriches what is a richly musical and adventurous album.

Review: Isaiah Collier, a Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and composer, channels ancestral spirits on the transcendent Parallel Universe. Known for pushing jazz boundaries, Collier's saxophone mastery and compositional depth redefine the genre here as Parallel Universe marks a pivotal moment in his career as he embraces the live recording's risk and vulnerability. Reflecting on the improvisational essence of classic jazz, Collier honours musical predecessors in style here. The album features gospel soul singer Jimetta Rose, AACM's Corey Wilkes, blues-rooted guitarist Michael Damani, and collaborators Julian Davis Reid, James Russell Sims, and Micah Collier. Across eight tracks, a great understanding between them all really shines through.

Review: You will be hard-pushed to find a more eclectic record than this as it collides folk, samba, glittering pop, doom metal and rap with plenty of broken beats. DJESSE Vol. 4 concludes Jacob's thrilling series and was again crafted in his iconic home studio and around the world as a way of encapsulating his most vivid dreams. The unclassifiable music blends a spectrum of emotions into a joyous celebration of collective awakening and human potential and this deluxe edition includes four new tracks featuring collaborations with stars like Shawn Mendes, Stormzy, John Mayer, Lizzy McAlpine, Kirk Franklin, Brandi Carlile, Lawrence and Michael McDonald.

Review: Four Rooms reflects a very fun time in Hollywood, or at least the annals of American cinema. Co-directed by Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, the story of the fictional Los Angeles-set Hotel Mon Signor, and the strange, demanding, off-putting, and straight up intimidating guests that stay there on New Year's Eve - just as Tim Roth starts his first shift on the job as bellhop - is full of energy and a carefree, playful attitude. It's the kind of movie which, if it were made today, would no doubt be rushed straight to the bottom of the New Releases section on whatever streaming service you've given in to because it would feel cheap rather than charismatic. But in 1994, catching a quintet of fresh filmmakers on the rise, at a time when positivity reigned and the silver screen still had an ounce of class, means the whole thing worked well. As for the soundtrack, we veer between Americana and a reworking of the theme from 1960s US TV series Bewitched, weird, meditative vocal drone and lounge music.

Review: Terapia Records is a Milan-born record label created by Luca Ferrara and Michele Fallabrino aka Complementary Minds. Here they present the very first release in its catalogue, a stunning LP titled Butch Haynes introduces Complementary Minds Vol. 1. Featuring a wide selection of moods and grooves throughout its whopping amount of tracks, some of the highlights include: the late night boogie-down vibe of 'Flower Diva" the late night deepness of 'Q Orchestra' (The Lost Tape mix) with its Moodymann influenced vibe, through to the knackered and off-kilter business of 'Myers Boogie Man' and the dreamy classic house emotion of 'Contact 911' with its early Chicago vibe featuring celestial Larry Heard-like synth sounds.

Review: Cornelius is the work of Japanese multi-instrumentalist Keigo Oyamada and he returned last year with the highly anticipated album Dream in Dream, his first full-length release since 2017's Mellow Waves. By blending avant-garde jazz, soulful r&b and psychedelic electronics, the album creates a breezy, sun-soaked soundscape and after that Cornelius gained international fame with Fantasma, which was standout for its cut-and-paste style akin to Beck and The Beastie Boys. Often compared to Brian Wilson for his intricate production, Cornelius has worked with artists like Blur and MGMT and Dream in Dream continues his innovative work with angular guitars, lush synths, and syncopated drums for a bright yet contemplative sound.

Review: Polish producer Latarnik and American vocalist Anthony Mills collide on this new album for Polish label Astigmatic to explore lo-fi hip-hop, soul, dub and experimental electronics. Mills's falsetto vocal brings great Neo-soul warmth to Crack Rock with emotionally charged tones soaring over the production which ranges from sugary and 80s-tinged disco and boogie on 'Crack' to deep, seductive and gooey on 'Passive Lover' which is a more romantic sound. Latarnik's work is often minimal yet immersive which creates space for Mills' voice to shine and is delivered in equal parts spoken word, chant and soulful croon. The hypnotic, slow-burning soundscapes that result are both intimate and confrontational, ready to make you dance but also often just to feel. Unapologetically raw and deeply human, this one lingers long after the final track ends.

Review: After the breakout success of his 2019 debut album Fyah, Theon Cross is back with his hotly anticipated follow-up. The British tubist and trombonist is right at the vanguard of young, modern jazz, playing an integral role in scene-leading bands Sons of Kemet and Moses Boyd Exodus, and his second album reaffirms his vision in dazzling style. The contemporary sound of British jazz is all about embracing new modes alongside the core skills and traditions of the culture, and Cross demonstrates this across every inch of Intra-I. The tuba never sounded so futuristic, and Cross' virtuoso playing folds into slick electronic processes with a fluidity that comes from within. Cross embodies this hybridised music like only he can, making a vital creative statement in the process.

Review: CS + Kreem have a hard job on their hands to follow up the magnificent Snoopy but they do it admirably with Orange. This is another intriguing album on The Trilogy Tapes that pairs suspenseful emptiness with fresh instrumental interjections, creepy spoken words with atmospheric found sounds to make for an album that is part sound collage, part experimental rhythms and part ambient storytelling. Acoustic guitars, nervy cellos, tentative xylophones, woozy flutes and lazy drum sounds all colour the airwaves in this most deep, compelling and pensive of records.

Review: Following 2022's Orange, Naarm (Melbourne) based pair CS + Kreme return with a brand new third album The Butterfly Drinks The Tears Of The Tortoise. This time out, the pair decide to head into a world of more dramatic sounds and global soundscapes that fuse organic elements like medieval arrangements, seafaring guitar strums and Sundanese tarawangsa strings with their own signature rhythms and industrial-edged drums. The standout track 'Uki' exemplifies this contrast as it evolves from abstract vocal loops and whispers into an avant-garde acid techno workout with claps and sharp melodies. The album therefore ably showcases the CS + Kreme's ability to merge delicate harmonies with unpredictable sonic structures.

Review: We guarantee you won't have heard percussion like Serpente for some time. Offering three tracks of disorientating, complex beats, from 'Perda Outra' to 'Dobra De Ra', the triptych is rhythmically challenging but absolutely captivating, and certainly the kind of thing that's going to prove demanding for anyone obsessed with smooth, clean transitions in a mix. Flip this wild six pack and CZN's trio of tunes are similarly beguiling. Space age desert folk drums, suppressed ritualistic thrumming, and top-heavy pulsating arrangements that seem poised to generate high energy while never managing to release the tension. Quality bits we don't really know what else to say about - genre obsessives need not apply, this is no place for you or your structures and rules. But trust us, letting go of such ideals and diving in here will be one of the best things you do this week.