New releases last eight weeks: Balearic/Downtempo

Review: Was anyone ready for one of the most talked-about albums of the year to be Andre 3000 going ham on the flute? Probably not, but in a post-reality world New Blue Sun just slots right in. Of course the legions of Outkast fans are going to be split when an artist of such prominence takes a wild swerve into experimental musical pastures, but for those with an open mind or a pre-existing appreciation of ambient and leftfield music, this album is an easy sell. Teasing the tension between acoustic and electronic, ancient and hypermodern, grounded and ethereal, Andre has been bold and honest in presenting this album to the world and his gamble has paid off.

Review: Bullion continues to perfect his endlessly charming strain of modernist synth pop with this new album for Ghostly International. The lead single from the album sets the tone beautifully, as the mighty Carly Rae Jepsen lends her voice to 'Rare' for a blissful, woozy ride through exquisite song craft that calls back to AOR and soft rock as much as synthwave. Further guest spots arrive from Panda Bear and Charlotte Adigery, but as ever Bullion's own charisma remains the driving force on this latest dose of honey-coated audio pleasure from a master of the art.

Review: New from London-based DJ, producer and label boss Chris Coco comes a full LP's worth of zoneout utopics in the mode of atmospheric downtempo electronica. Made to be played "in two sessions on an old fashioned vinyl disc," Daydream Utopia is a sonic exegetic of a very particular sound, perhaps one informed by city pop, enviro-ambient and disco (the Japanese electronic influence is exemplified by the track 'Tokyo Sound'), and/or any and all other regional motifs, from the South Asian raga come surreal cut-ups of 'Leap Year' to the blissful, Mark Knopfler's-80s-style beatless meanderings of 'Serenity Test'.

Review: What can you say about this amazing album that has not been said before?! Originally released in 1996 and quickly becoming one of the most important pieces in the history of sampled music, its legacy continues to grow while Shadow remains the archetypal example of a crate digging producer. Everything from jazz, spoken word, hip-hop and more was sampled into this cornucopia of sound - in many ways the zenith of the impressive output of James Lavelle's revered Mo''Wax label - and you wouldn't be surprised if it ended up in the Smithsonian for what it has accomplished and meant to the scene.

Review: Critically acclaimed British jazz pianist, composer and arranger, Greg Foat has been making quite a bit of waves in the jazz scene as well as his groundbreaking albums that feature artists in other genres. His latest album 'Live At Can Rudayla Ibiza ', is an homage to the magical sound of the Mediterranean. Ibiza has long been known for its night life but perhaps not known as well outside the chill out scene sound, that the area has a sound all to itself. Inspired by his highly regarded and recent album with Gigi Masin, Greg Foat explores the themes further. Pool Side parts 1 and 2 shimmer with beautiful soundscapes that set the mood wonderfully. 'Dining Table Grooves' gives a hint at the late-night sounds to come in Ibiza while the sunset tracks close the album out with an almost chill wave sound that we absolutely adore. If you are looking for an album to put on as guests arrive to your beach home, this is the album you want to play. Greg Foat is a beacon of light for the future of jazz fusion.

Review: Three is the long-awaited twelfth studio album by electronica titan Four Tet, following a long extended 'wildcard era' characterised by legal battles (well, one) and unlikely, curveball stints with fellow juggernauts Skrillex and Fred Again. But despite this judgment, Three hears Kieran Hebden return to his earliest forms, with the semi-eponymous 'Three Drums' recalling his earliest outcroppings emergent from his Fridge days, via slow, crisp breaks and serene string pads. 'Loved', similarly, evokes a 90s hip-hop, dare say Britcore fascination, melded with warmingly serene analogue pulsations, underlaid.

Review: There are not too many house and techno labels in the United States that can boast quite the discography and international success that the Brooklyn based Scissor & Thread label can. For over a decade now, the busy label has kept the quality up to the high standards the label set when starting. A big part of that quality is having Frank & Tony on board through the label's history. Ethos is their new full-length album that, spread across a double pack of wax, with tracks mostly kept under close guard, except the opener 'Olympia'. Make no mistake though, from the rumours and whispers we've heard already, it looks like being a big hit.

Review: Everyone likes a good mystery, don't they? Well, this artist is new to us and so is this label. Thankfully, the style isn't. Balearic music has taken off in the last half-decade. The style can be a hodge podge of genres like Latin, house, dub, folk, ambient, funk, jazz and more. Jezebell - Jezebellearic Beats Volume 1 is a great example of this style but more importantly, honoring the vibe of the culture where this music would play. Many of these honor original songs but turn them into a mix of Balearic remixes mixed with original elements too. Like the Lionel Richie sample of 'All Night Long' in the smoothed out sounds of 'Jezebellearic" (feat Alfredo)' or the Michael Jackson 'Thriller' parts in 'Thrill Me'. A few of these inject some electronic music into them like the acid line 'Re-Birth' and the beautiful melody touches in the Dizzy Heights dub of Pedestal. 'Hush Hush' is a spaced-out remix of Kajagoogoo's 'Too Shy'. Overall, you a creative and unique album that we think you will like very much.

Review: Jim (James Baron) is a UK producer making his brand of Balearic, folk and rock music. Generally, pushing the boundaries of Balearic, this double pack compilation houses remixes of tracks from his most debut album 'Love Makes Magic'. The lineup of producers lending their talents to this double pack is quite impressive. Uk house music legends X-press and Chris Coco just to mention two. This release encompasses a wide array of styles including downtempo, dub as well as house music all keeping the folk and Balearic soul of the originals. A true remix packet that brings these originals to different heights.

Review: Ronnie Lion is one half of Ambient Warrior and this is his debut solo outing. It finds him paying homage to Spanish Town, which is the capital of St Catherine in Jamaica and that is apparent from the off with its lush Spanish guitar notes fluttering over the face of the dubbed-out low ends and shiny digital chords. Lead guitarist Sean Wilkinson pays plenty of the guitar and the rhythm section has Ronnie himself on bass while Horseman is on drums to bring a heavy foundation. Up to the intricate and memorable hooks add the colour and charm and elements of Bossa Nova and Flamenco guitar also help add extra layers to this fine debut.

Review: Dualismo Sound decided to start this new Tribal Italia Breaks compilation with the aim of "reconstructing a different perspective of Tribal Italia," which was a label started in 1995 in Riccione. It was known for its mix of cosmic and Afro-disco sounds and regional DJs such as Meo, Fary, Fattori and Brahms. One aspect of the sound was that it took cub from hip-hop's sample-heavy culture and al that gave birth to the Tribal Italia catalogue. The best of it is offered up here on a worldly trip through all sorts of innovative rhythms and colourful sounds, exotic pads and tropical signifiers. A great retro-future collection of leftfield downtempo and disco, then.