Back catalogue: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul

Review: Many Hands is a fresh label helmed by Jona Jefferies and Kava that here kicks out an eclectic EP with four tracks from various members of its musical family. Dan Aikido opens with '0800 TXT4 Herb,' a smooth fusion piece that builds a laid-back groove, blending fretless bass, jazzy keys and soulful vocals all reminiscent of Rare Silk's 'Storm.' Ernie Ruso's 'Stroke It' offers slow, sensual r&b infused with P-funky wah-wah effects while DJ Nomad's 'African Boy' brings upbeat pop house next to funky organ and a female reggae MC.Jefferies' closer 'A Change Will Come' samples Dr. Martin Luther King Jr with a rave-inspired beat and soulful piano. Cracking stuff.

Review: Favorite Recordings unearth two rare gems from the AOR Global Sounds series on this 7" single. Jonathon Hansen's track, recorded in 1978, captures a soulful AOR sound with heartfelt lyrics inspired by the breakup of his band. Backed by a close-knit group of musicians, the recording feels both intimate and timeless. On the flip, Jeff Silna's contribution channels the energy of Miami's TK Studios, blending funk-inspired grooves with smooth, melodic arrangements. Both tracks are a testament to the creativity of their era, lovingly reissued for collectors and fans of vintage soul.

Review: The legendary James Taylor Quartet will soon return with a much anticipated new full length but before that they offer a glimpse not what to expect from it with new single 'Hung Up On You.' Taylor himself has explained that 'Hung Up On You' was left over from a writing session from his other band The Prisoners and that it was "interesting to see how my JTQ guys, usually funk players, took to this approach." It channels the gritty punk and new wave essence of Medway to deliver a fast-paced rock'n'roll anthem that passionately rants about an enduring, unreciprocated love.

Review: LA's Jarren returns to Apron Records with a six-track EP of glitz. Following on the heels of his last LP Antera, 'Fresco' marks a return to the EP form, and flaunts some of the crispest, swangiest electronic funk, house and electro on offer in the city of angels right now. We open with 'Jam', which catches us off guard almost but signalling that this could be the start of another kind of record, with staccato sports whistles, and three-note cheese synths aplenty, against a decided new jack swing. Only after this detour are we offered the real meat on things; the knocking 4x4 neons of 'Round & Round' and 'Florence Blue', and the increasing raw bootylectro of 'Gina' and/or 'The Way You Do'.

Review: A captivating blend of jazz-infused grooves, soulful melodies and laid-back vibes, delving into the heart of soul music with 'Lost' that sets the tone with its heartfelt vocals and melancholic melodies. On the flipside, 'Thank You' offers a message of gratitude and appreciation, its uplifting harmonies and soulful instrumentation leaving the listener with a sense of warmth and contentment. Expect a selection of tunes that evoke the golden era of soul, with warm instrumentation, rich harmonies, and heartfelt vocals. Whether you're a seasoned soul aficionado or simply looking for some feel-good music to soothe the soul, this compilation is sure to hit the spot.

Review: Jeroboam serves up the tongue-in-cheek title 'Brexit Funk' on Chuwanaga and is sure to get you moving as a result. There is some serious sunshine and Brit-funk loveliness to the title track. It is lit up with vibes keys and irresistible funk basslines that all brim with good-time fun. 'Peckham Night' is a more sultry and steamy sound for when the sun is setting thanks to its lazy drums and splashy cymbals all topped with some smoky trumpet soul. A dub mix rounds out with even deeper-cut grooves and romantic melodies. Three grown-up delights for sure.

Review: Way back in 1998, Sunship revisited Jhelisa's 1994 single 'Friendly Pressure', turning in versions that made a massive impression on the then still young UK garage scene. This reissue presents the outfit's two original mixes alongside some tweaked new versions of the pioneering 'Into The Sunshine' mix, a rework that combined a swinging garage beat and MK style organ motifs with Jhelisa's sweet, soulful versions and the musical bounce of reggae. At the time, speed garage DJs tended to play the remix sped up, so Sunship have done that (B2), while also delivering a new 2024 extension of their pioneering revision. To complete the package, we also get the second Sunship rework from 1998, the 2-step style 'From Midnight Mix'. If you're a fan of UKG history, you need this in your life.

Review: Series Of Taboo presents its third release, collating the fiery, broken works of two ingenious verging on igneous artists. The first is the established Copenhagen producer Terry Tester, who sports a two-decades-long career as a turntablist and beatmaker. The second is the talented producer Jay Sound, the keyboardist and composer based in Detroit. Whether more a testament to biographical clout or the music itself, 'Rhythms From World Vol. 1' EP is a compellingly minimal broken beat bound-about, both tracks giving off ineffable moods of formal curiosity over concept ('Triplets' taking after the stave-straddling, crotchety musical three) and 'Loose Idea' sounding like, well, just that.

Review: Brooklyn producer, bandleader and DJ Toribio returns for the second 12" on his newly launched BDA Imprint. Going deeper into his lifelong jazz obsession, 'Bring Dat Jazz' does just that whilst gladly exhorting us to do the same. Spanning three impressively arranged originals on top of a wicked remix of Sam Wilkes and Jacob Mann's 'Dr. T' on the A2, the overall impression gained here is one of an artist's deepest possible immersion in not just jazz as a whole, but its wildest contemporary abstractions through styles like deep house, garage house and post-punk. 'Jazz Misconduct' conducts itself rascally enough, holding itself together by the thinnest house-swing string; then the B-siders 'Bumples' and 'My Humps' herald a brief rise in tempo, coming shortly before an unusual hip-funk dub flip: a leftfield turn through a subtle, misty piano and vocal tinkering with the end of a storied Black Eyed Peas song.