Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: Some may argue that Dimitri From Paris and Tom Moulton have already provided the definitive remixes of Ron Hall, the Muthafunkaz and Marc Evans' 2006 gem "The Way You Love Me". This Glitterbox 12", which features alternative versions of those two legendary reworks, proves that they're wrong. Dimitri's "Glitterbox Retouch" of his Philadelphia International-inspired TSOP Version is a little more focused and tightly edited than its predecessor, but naturally incredibly similar. It's Moulton's "Philly Regrooved Mix", though, that's the real stunner. A near perfect example of Moulton's classic mixing skills, it sees the original disco mixer give space to each instrumental solo before unleashing the now oh-so-familiar vocal. The result is 13 minutes of unashamed disco bliss.

Review: The cultured Presagi label returns with a previously unreleased 1989 recording by Miami freestyle icon Laurie Miller, who made her name as a solo artist as well as spending time with 80s group Expose. The wonderful 'True Love' is a shimmering slice of vintage freestyle that is now seeing the light of day for the first time, and has been lovingly restored from the original master tapes and officially licensed from the artist. The B-side features a fresh dub reinterpretation by Tapes aka Jackson Bailey who lends the track a spacious, analogue warmth and makes this a crucial pick-up.

Review: Shai Maestro is widely regarded as one of the most original and influential jazz pianists of his generation. Since launching his trio in 2011, he has cultivated a distinctive musical voice that is fluid, expressive and richly lyrical. His sound blends jazz improvisation with global influences and cinematic depth and has won him comparisons to legends like Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea. With acclaimed ECM recordings produced by Manfred Eicher, Maestro has become a major force in contemporary jazz and his latest album backs that up with a first foray into a solo piano album that explores nuance, emotion and storytelling through improvisation and composition.

Review: Margaux Gazur has made her mark as a DJ with sets at places like Panorama Bar and Waking Life. Her debut album on Smallville is a deeply personal exploration of identity and sound that confirms she is just as good in the studio. The French-Vietnamese artist is now based in Berlin but draws from her time living in Vietnam and childhood recollections to craft nearly 70 minutes of immersive, organic electronica across Blurred Memories. Field recordings, traditional instruments and woozy textures blend with street rhythms from Hanoi to create rich, intimate soundscapes of the sort that are well suited to this label. Each track reveals delicate details such as mysterious voices and fragile glitches in the hypnotic grooves. Known for captivating sets at Panorama Bar, La Station, and Waking Life, Margaux offers a magical, emotionally resonant debut that invites listeners into her blurred sonic past.

Review: Khadim is a smart evolution of Ndagga Rhythm Force's sound-stripped down, spacious and spiritually charged. Abandoning guitars and full percussion, the four track album hones in on minimal live drumming, dubby synths (including Mark Ernestus's Prophet-5), and Mbene Diatta Seck's powerful, expressive voice. Each track is emotionally rich and narratively distinct while touching on Senegalese history, Sufi devotion and street-level struggles. Songs like 'Lamp Fall' and 'Khadim' pay homage to revered religious figures while blending traditional rhythms with contemporary electronics. After years of touring, this new direction feels deeply rooted yet forward-reaching and means this album is both devotional and radical in its dubwise majesty.

Review: It may be almost a decade since the last - and previously only - album by Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force outfit, but in the time the expansive, percussion-led collective has toured extensively and subtly developed their African rhythms-meets-dub trademark style. Khadim, which features extensive contributions from vocalist Mbene Diatta Seck, is not only a welcome return to the studio, but also a genuinely impressive affair. For proof, check the percussion-rich Afro-dub science of 'Lamp Fall', where Seck's effects-laden vocals spar with dub techno synth motifs and deep sub-bass over a hand percussion-heavy rhythm track, or the more dub techno-focused early morning hypnotism of the inspired title track.

Review: On his long-awaited debut, Osaka's Takuya Matsumoto draws a clear line between the tactile futurism of 90s IDM and the emotional depth of Detroit techno, finding beauty in grit and structure in chaos. There's a cinematic quality to the sequencing, from the shimmering opener 'Drifting On The Ocean' to the gnarled syncopations of 'Dril and Acid' and the broken funk of 'Fonseca'. But what makes this record truly sing is its refusal to sit still: 'Mini' dances with jazzy irreverence, while 'Triangles' feels like a dusted-off memory from a lost Rephlex archive. Matsumoto's palette is warm, spiky, and full of movementian album built not on pastiche but on devotion to groove and experimentation in equal measure. You hear shades of Underground Resistance's urgency, Mike Paradinas' off-grid detail, and Floating Points' melodic intricacy, but none of it feels borrowed. 'Traverse' and 'Mercy on the floor' close things with a spacious melancholy that lingers beyond the final fade. This is a conversation with dance music history, spoken fluently in rhythm and mood. A richly detailed, deeply personal statement from one of Japan's most quietly consistent producers.

Review: MRCY, the r&b/soul duo of Barney Lister and Kojo Degraft-Johnson, return with Volume 2: a bold, emotionally charged collection building on their acclaimed debut. Blending timeless influences with modern textures, their music offers comfort and unpredictability. "We're trying to extinguish fear with optimism and worry with love," Barney explains. This ethos runs through the album, from the uplifting grooves of 'Angels' and 'Wanna Know (Ontario)' to the driving rhythms of 'Man', which challenges ideals of masculinity over Afrobeat percussion and jazz flourishes.

Review: Horizon finds Matt Gold and Will Miller - respectively the guitarist behind Midnight Choir and the trumpeter/producer steering Resavoir - merging their shared love for Brazilian classics and Chicago's collaborative spirit into something slow-burning and broad-eyed. Orbiting nylon-string guitars and gradated with reeds, horns, strings and synths, 'Canopy' opens with bright chords and unfurls into shuffling groove and soprano sax; 'Diversey Beach', meanwhile, written during a whiteout, pairs NYC songwriter Mei Semones with a string section heard to drift like tidewater. Additions from Macie Stewart, Eddie Burns, Carter Lang and more hear the album bob through chamber jazz and dreamy orchestro-pop.

Review: A new collaborative release from Chicago-based musicians Will Miller aka Resavoir and Matt Gold finds two long-time friends turning their shared obsession with 60s and 70s Brazilian music into something glowing, spacious and gently psychedelic. Both seasoned producers - Miller with credits for SZA and Whitney, Gold known for work alongside Makaya McCraven - they trade virtuosity for vibe here. Tracks like 'Canopy' and 'Dewy' float past on brushed drums, weightless keys and muted trumpet lines, inviting you into a world that feels humid and soft-edged, like a Sao Paulo sunrise seen through Chicago smog. 'Zero Gravity' lives up to its name with glassy guitar runs and smeared synths, while 'Diversey Beach' could pass for a bossa nova daydream refracted through ambient jazz. Nothing here tries too hard and that's the point: it's music for breathing, for early mornings or long windows of time with nothing to do. A quietly dazzling listen from two players unbothered by hype, weaving warmth and clarity into something slow-burning and completely their own.