Back in stock: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul

Review: After the success of the first Alessandroni Proibito box set, which sold out in pre-sale before it even hit the stores, Four Flies is proudly back with Volume 2 of the compilation. This new release too features five exclusive 7" singles, housing a total of ten seriously rare tunes. All previously unreleased in physical format, the tracks have been carefully selected from the soundtracks of five obscure Italian films from the late 70s - sexy flicks that flirted with the line between erotic and explicit, and which are now largely forgotten, having been out of circulation for decades. As was the case with the previous volume of the compilation, Alessandroni's music rises above the films' flimsy plots, improvised actors, and amateurish production, exuding his distinctive touch thanks to the (typically Italian) artisanal approach he took to his musical craft. The composer let his creativity run free, playing with his instruments at home as if he were in his own little amusement park; trying to have fun and produce something entertaining and captivating with just the few means at his disposal.

Review: Fashioned around the concept of a Swiss zoo, Kind & Kinky Zoo are the animistic four-piece coming-together of Olivier Bill (flute), Adrien Knecht (bass), Marc Siegenthaler (keys) and Sylvain Rutti (drums). Together they routinely invoke a wild and spirited jamboree in the veins of funk, groove and rock, best exemplified by their latest single 'Pamukkale' here, a bustling thicket of offbeat stinkplant wafts, big drum canopies and hitherto undiscovered species of sound. The two new follow-ups on this Soul Garden edition, a remix by Soulsupreme and a new original featuring Koperu, plunge us further into the band's audio jungle, expanding outwards into six-eighting funk-hop and Hammond-organic house.

Review: You can always count on Nautilus to deliver the most sophisticated covers of soul and jazz standards. The Japanese jazz funk outfit have a pristine approach to their craft, but they also know how to edge their own personality into the versions they lay down. So it goes as they approach the monumental 'Move On Up' by Curtis Mayfield, which is no small task. The actual cut on this 7" is the DJ JIN re-edit, which makes the track fit comfortably on a 45 but also makes sure it works for the DJs out there. On the flip 'Beyond The Redemption' has a more uptempo feel thanks to the sharp angles of the drums and the ascendant keys gliding over the dynamic low end.

Review: Ewonee has some superb credentials - he is a Mutant Academy member as well as having done some production for Fly Anakin, Henny LO and Koncept Jack$on amongst others. He shows his class here with two deep and stylish joints for High Water Music. 'Do Your Dance' is up first and has nice low slung and dusty kick drums, organic finger clicks and muttered vocals for a late night feel. 'The World Is Ours' then layer sup some tender piano chords with another dusty and minimal drum line then layers in some sun kissed chords and classic hip-hop samples for outdoor fun.

Review: Larry Manteca's Zombie Mandingo album arrived back in 2013 and in the danced plus has only ever been available digitally. Now it makes its debut on wax and remains a bold listen that was devised as a soundtrack to a non-existent exploitation film. It fuses funk, jazz, and Afrobeat influences with plenty of niche cinematic references such as the zombies in Lucio Fulci's horrors and Umberto Lenzi's cannibalistic adventures. The resulting mash up is beguiling to say the least with horror-tinged exotica next to Fela Kuti rhythms and elements of Italian Library music and colourful psychedelia. A boundary pushing work to say the least.

Review: An ultra-depthy broken house production from fellows Roberta and Fawziyya Heart, 'Take Our Time' is a seeming exercise in how many top frequencies one can lop off, yet still use in service a sense of excitement in stasis. The simple tessellation of soul-fed voice, subdued kick, murmurative Rhodes and mono sub make for a fantastic combo, as we're unconsciously fed lyrics and style signifying tarrying and patience, not to mention the Molokos and Smith & Mighties of the 1990s.

Review: Moor Mother (Camae Ayewa) delivers her latest album of import, The Great Bailout, using ironic economic terminology to satirise the British slave trade and its subsequent elision by the history books. A collaborative project that expands her original experimental hip-hop horizon, the likes of 'GUILTY' and 'ALL THE MONEY' hear new instrumental contributions from both canonical jazz artists and fresher faces, be they Lonnie Holley in the former camp and Mary Lattimore and Alya Al-Sultana in the latter. Moor Mother's revision is critical, calling out hidden ballasts such as the V&A Museum as purveyors of historical violence, while indulging a well-thought-out palette: no sound or texture is used here without careful thought as to its signification, whether wateriness to evoke the sense of drowning, or muted cacophony to recall the storms endured by victims of the trade in ships' hulls.

Review: Tour-Maubourg has been receiving quite a bit of press since their very first release. Often, their records quickly become sought after for their amazing beauty and genre-washing abilities. 'The Panorama Sessions' aims to continue the strong promotion and deliver another home run. Like the name suggests, these are alternate versions of other treasured Tour-Maubourg tracks that were featured on different releases, with this 12" bringing in the talents of the Ismael Ndir on saxophone. 'The Opening' gives us At Les vibes with the brilliant melodic touch, a smoothed out Balearic track that is nothing short of sublime, while 'Ode to Love' is another goosebump creator. These sunset styled interludes expanding into a feeling of light jazz and pseudo house, really work well on our mood receptors. 'Saint The A La Menthe (Panorama version)' is perhaps the most soulful track here, making it a perfect way to close things out. All and all, four unique, terrific new versions of classic Tour-Maubourg material to enjoy.

Review: Downtempo maestro Mudd is back with a new album In The Garden Of Mindfulness on the faultless Claremont 56 label. Coming after years of him working with Benjamin Smith, amongst others, it's his first solo album since 2006. His magical touch has not left him here as he explores dubbed out disco, Balearic, cosmic chill out and layers of alluring instrumentation, some of which is provided by Michele Chiavarini. These are widescreen sounds to get fully immersed in as you gaze on at sun soaked jazz guitars, low-lit synths, gently cascading synths hints of psychedelia, funk and soul. Another timeless and sparkling work from the great producer.

Review: Bread & Souls is a new project dreamt up by Italian entrepreneur and music lover Franco Fusari. For this he invited Mark de Clive-Lowe to direct and produce his roving vision: a series of collaborations with the cream of boogie and jazzdance's best performers and instrumentalists, including the likes of Bembe Segue, Vanessa Freeman, Paul Randolph, Rich Medina, Tommaso Cappellato and more. Under the banner of Bread & Souls, these eight originals and six remixes hit hard yet smooth, sliding down the proverbial aural gullet like a well-made Manhattan.

Review: Deep house producer Shuya Okino shows his class once more on another tasteful outing, this time via the Extra Freedom/Village Again labels out of Japan. For this one he revisits his 2011 album Destiny which was made with help from the Japanese funk, boogie and jazz-funk outfit Root Soul and replays and remakes the tunes. The originals become more disco-leaning and horn lead jams here with Okino's warm, rubbery basslines, P-funk synths, loose live beats and cute keys. The result is an album that sounds like Earth, Wind & Fire making modern soul and it will improve your life no end.

Review: Unstoppable Munich label Ilian Tape has another entry in its fine ITX Series here and this one is called 'Biospore Farmers' from Fields of Mist, describing it as "Sunrise Beams Through Orbital Mist." In less abstract terms, it is a gorgeously hazy and lo-fi electro-exploration. The first two cuts are slow, doleful and reflective with grainy pads and deep space ambiance swirling around nice rough-edged broken beats. The B-side picks up the pace with the brilliantly kinetic bounce of 'Astral Projection Spores' and then the skittish and celestial trip that is 'Orbital Mist'. A high-class EP once again.

Review: Axis of Time is the stunning debut album from Philadelphia mallet percussionist and poet Angelo Outlaw. Featuring Eraserhood Sound's signature synth & soul production, the LP is a dazzling blend of jazz, rare groove, funk, soul and r&b. Outlaw's statement of intent is to transport the listener to a dissociated, dream-like state; a retreat into a fantasy from which one may not wish to return. That of a sonic holiday is indeed the vibe of this vibraphonic virtuosum, with landscapes of flute, wah-pedalled guitars and, of course, bell-like harmonies played by Outlaw himself, all evoke the sense of riding on the back of a paradisiacal bird, and into the anaesthetic distance.

Review: Marcello Cassanelli is back on Ten Lovers Music after previously appearing on TLM030 with the incredible track 'Fantasia'. This time around, we're met with the follow-up, 'Espresso', on which the producer programs every twist and turn of this organic jazzdance bit himself. The title track on the A goes ham on the glitzings and arps, all backed up by jittery electric piano chord counterpoints; the B, 'They Groove', pares back the tempo to focus further on the piquing frequences of the latter instrument's higher notes, set against a weighty backbeat.

Review: E. Live returns to Star Creature HQ with his third full-length release, 'Soft Approach,' and it's a jazz-funk-infused and boogie-powered blast-off. Following the success of 2020's Boogie For Life and Cloud Vibes from 2022, this new long player marks a triumphant evolution in his solo journey. With a nu-school disco flair and jazzier undertones, E. Live expertly balances accessibility and sophistication to make for a well-crafted trip overall. Drawing inspiration from musical luminaries like Roy Ayers and Patrice Rushen, these tunes promise to captivate fans of danceable rhythms and refined musicality alike. This release solidifies E. Live's reputation as a trailblazer in the contemporary Boogie scene and confirms he is destined for seismic waves in 2024.

Review: Okinawa-based, France-born guitarist Paul Mahoux's excellent new EP Lysergie Villageoise marks the fourth release on Nummer's Natural Selections label. It finds him delving deeper into fourth-world music realms and intricately weaving together tracks that encapsulate all of his experimental ideas over the last three decades. 30 years of experimentation. Over the course of the quartet of tunes, Mahoux blends traditional and modern techniques and distils his signature blend of jazz, folk, ambient, and house into something all new that seems both proto and avant-garde. It is rich in emotion, deploying involving to listen to, and a work that transcends the usual genre boundaries.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks ***


This album is one of the greatest r&b records ever. That's just a fact. Jill Scott herself has never even managed to surpass what she lay down on this stone-cold classic all the way back in 2002. The production is stylish and warm, seductive and sensual throughout, with jazz, neo soul, funk, r&b and hip hop all carefully infusing each track. The lyrics are empowering as they celebrate blackness and female strength, but also at times witty and playful. It's a go-to date night album for people all over the world and how it missed out on a Grammy for Best Album or Best Vocal Performance when it was first nominated we will never know.

Review: The late legendary Japanese beatmaker Nujabes was a musical genius, this we know to be true. His constant resurgence on social media throughout the years affirms this, with 'Modal Soul', his second full-length album in 2005, blowing up time and time again online. It comes as no surprise, his meticulous devotion to hip-hop-jazz was unlike any before him, or since. 'Other Side of Phase' is a 12" three track record, with its title track being the instrumental for the famous anime 'Samurai Champloo', originally featuring one of Japan's most prolific MCs to ever hold the mic. A standout is 'Rainyway Back Home', a fly song combining the keys from an old Jeru the Damaga cut and the drums from a Power of Zeus track. Nujabes will never - ever - go out of style.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Sons of Kemet had already made themselves into stars before they released their debut album. They did so with electrifying live shows all around the UK with each member of the supergroup which is led by clarinetist, saxophonist and composer Shabaka Hutchings with Oren Marshall on tuba and Tom Skinner and Seb Rochford on drums, all coming together to create fresh jazz fusions. When Burn landed a decade ago it took things up a notch. It has addictive melodies that work for both heart and mind and now gets a special anniversary reissue.

Review: More gold from the always in the know and on point 5 Boroughs label. Again here it digs into the vast annals of hip-hop history to come up with some still relevant gems in the form of Rakim and DJ Premier's staple 'It's Been a Long Time.' It is a classic boom-bap joint with lush strings and horns, some old-school scratching and cool bars. As walls, the label serves it up alongside the original sample source on the flip which is Cecil Holmes's languid soul slow burner 'Call Me, Come Back Home'. These plays shift in quick time so do not snooze if you want a slice.