Hip Hop/R&B charts

Review: New Japanese label Grunge House Records featuring Japanese artist Altz cover of Everybody Loves the Sunshine, Peter Power (Multi Culti/ Invisible, Inc.) mysterious ambient tune, and a polyrhythmic tribal dub techno cut with a motif of Japanese mythology by Ground (ESP Institute / Chillmountain).

Review: After offering up EPs titled "Hard Times" and "Changing Times" in 2017, Kaidi Tatham returns to First Word to complete the trilogy with "Serious Times". Of course, the music contained within the EP's tightly packed grooves is as joyous, rich as intricate as ever. Check, for example, "Don't Cry Now", a samba-soaked, sun-kissed affair that wraps harmonic freestyle vocals, twinkling electric piano lines and darting jazz-funk bass around a seriously shuffling groove. Tatham's much-discussed jazz-funk influences are once again given an airing on "Sugar", while his fine piano work takes pride of place on instrumental hip-hop head-nodder "Zallom". Best of all, though, is opener "Cost of Living", which emphatically weaves together all of these strands and more besides.

Review: Pete Cunningham's hybrid electronic/acoustic jazz collective Ishmael Ensemble has been right at the forefront of innovation when it comes to those sounds. For his latest project he links up with lyricist and MC Rider Shafique. They first met some six years ago when Cunningham was struck by "his powerful way with words." As such they got in the studio, Cunningham embraced a more bass heavy sound to his style and drew on his love of the likes of dub kings King Tubby and Adrian Sherwood. Coupled with Rider's voice and you have a superb new record.

Review: Peoples Potential Unlimited hits a rather noteworthy 99th EP with this new and debut single from King Pari. The now LA based foursome make lush bedroom sounds with all the usual proudly analogue production, frayed edges and lo-fi beats you'd expect from PPU. 'Come Inside' was written remotely and "is a reaction to some people's inability to make choices." It has an aching vocal hook front and centre, neat guitar sounds, an 808 knock off and Micro Korg action all adding the finer details. The Bassapella does what it says on the tin and an extended Fantasy World mix heads off into new territory.