Back catalogue: Hip Hop/R&B

Review: Hailing from Marseille, Zar Electrik conjure a hypnotic synthesis of North African rhythm, West African instrumentation and contemporary electronics. Their debut full-length surges with ritualistic energy-'Berma soudan' leads with elastic gumbri grooves, while 'Bala dima' overlays call-and-response chants with pulsing low-end and dubby atmospheres. 'Koyo' anchors the set in driving, gnaoui-inflected trance, propelled by electric kora and pitch-shifted vocal snippets. Elsewhere, 'Sahrane Lile' is drenched in oud melancholia, and 'Chouf enour' spirals into eight minutes of slow-building, ambient-rooted psych. Shorter sketches like 'Interlude 51' and 'Choukrane likoum' offer breathers between the denser percussion workouts. Drawing from wedding music, souk rhythms and Berber funk with evident care, the trio land somewhere between festival catharsis and basement heat. It's not simply fusion-it's groove as inheritance, filtered through FX units and Mediterranean sun.

Review: ZHU is something of an album specialist. This latest full-length, Grace, represents his fourth overall and is a rather special triple vinyl affair on heavyweight wax. It comes some two and a half years after his last back in December 2021 and arrives once more via Astralwerks. The GRAMMYr-nominated artist has revealed that he recorded most of this one in his hometown of San Francisco at the celebrated Grace Cathedral, which is where it gets its name. He also worked with others at points, including Devault and BabyJake on his first album single 'Revelations'. This one has already performed well and claimed a spot on Rolling Stone's list of "All The Songs You Need To Know This Week" upon release.

Review: ZHU is renowned for his albums, and his latest, Grace, marks his fourth release. This deluxe version of it (the standard version is also available with us) is a triple vinyl edition on heavyweight red-coloured wax with a special booklet. It comes two and a half years after his December 2021 album and the GRAMMYr-nominated artist has revealed that he recorded most of it in his hometown of San Francisco, specifically at the iconic Grace Cathedral, thereby inspiring its title. Collaborations on the album include Devault and BabyJake, with the first single, 'Revelations,' earning a spot on Rolling Stone's "All The Songs You Need To Know This Week."