Cold Busted US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Blue & Green has turned out several well-regarded hip hop albums over the last decade-plus, all of them on Cold Busted. 'Gravity' is one of the most standout and so not gets a welcome reissue to make it available and affordable to all once more. It's a hazy collection of lovely lo-fi beats, with frayed edges and gentle grooves making for laidback listening that is imbued with great melodies. Some have a playful cosmic edge, some are stoner soundtracks and others bring shuffle samba style or gently persuade you to get up and groove.

Review: The leader of lo-fi hip-hop beats that is Cold Busted has more of those signature sounds on this limited edition new 7" from ESBE. There is a brilliantly dreamy vibe to 'Special' which has your head amongst clouds of hazy weed smoke. "again' is no different, but with curlicues of jazzy melody that drift by like sonic flotsam. The frosted beats of 'Sunset Girl' are no less vibes, this time with a late night feel next to swirling vocal sounds and closer 'I Want Love' brings an old school 60s soul sound thanks to the smart samples.

Review: Powerhouse US hip hop label Cold Busted has been serving up the beats to keep us on our feet for what seems like ever. Taking the reins here is MTBRD who hails from the UK and is a prolific studio hand. His take on the high-flying Jet Set series from Cold Busted is a glorious one with four soulful and well-constructed tunes that will appeal to his ever goring fan base. This one comes on the heels of his well-received Damn Fine LP last year and offers heavy boom-bap on the opener, shimmering electric piano on 'So Long' and cinematic design on 'Ti Amo' before infectious vocals define closer 'Lost In Translation.'

Review: Cold Busted has long been setting the standard for hip hop and instrumental goodness. As well as serving up the latest in their Jet Set series this month, they also invite Belgian beatmaker and fine sonic journeyman Sim Nagai to make an entry into the same much-loved series. 'In Rotation' opens with funky drumming and pitch-shifted guitar licks before Latin flavours wash over 'Cuban Delirium,' a deeper beat with reverential pianos. There is a pure beachside bliss to 'Palm Dreams' with its tumbling drums and hits and languid vocal samples and 'Copacabana Sand' completes the trip with a nice shuffling beat and some gorgeous acoustic string work.

Review: Belgian producer Sim Nagai is back to take you on a worldly trip with ore of his well designed sounds on this new album for Cold Busted. It will be no surprise to learn once you hear this album that he loves to travel and manages to ably capture that in his work. Equator Hotline is packed with exotica-fuelled beatscapes and transportive vibes. On 'Animal Lithographs' there are lush harp sounds and subtle eastern melodies, 'Floating Through The Delta' is a humid and steamy trip down the river with the gentle patter of hand drums and swooning strings and 'Catching Waves' then carries you away on more gently broken beat loops and sun kissed melodies. This is super warm music for super warm days.