New State Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Here comes an exemplary slice of dub/drum & bass hybridization from Congo Natty, who has been helming up slick fusions of these genres since the early 1990s. His first album in eight years, 'Ancestorz' as a title should be indicative enough. The LP explores the indigenous roots and influences of jungle music, from its historic use of African rhythms to samples of Native American flutes. Collaborations with artists as far-flung as Eva Lazarus, Blackout JA, Akala, Maverick Sabre, Courtney Melody and Shabaka Hutchings are all in tow, showing off Natty's love for contemporary bass music and maturer sounds in equal measure.

Review: The generous run of Zero 7 reissues continues with the welcome return of their 2006 LP "The Garden". While it received something of a frosty reception on release, this album has refined with age to become a fan favourite and an all-round wonderfully accomplished work that highlights all the best qualities of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. From lush, starry-eyed and '60s tinged psychedelia to bittersweet pop and plenty of lounge-ready moods, it's incredibly easy to sink into like all the Zero 7 material, but shot through with depth to keep you listening attentively. Sia also makes some standout appearances, not least "Throw It All Away" and "Waiting To Die", while Jose Gonzalez is on stunning form too. Fans have been waiting a long time for this, and no doubt there will be plenty more converts to the Zero 7 sound too.

Review: 17 years old and still sounding refreshing, light, breezy, soulful and smoky; the essence and vibe of Zero 7's debut album can never be repeated, but it can be repressed. Its first reissue since 2015, across two 12"s you can enjoy some of the best downtempo and poppy Balearica made by the duo Binns & Hardaker and a young Sia on vocals. Highlights, as always, include the dreamy lounge lapping jazz of "Red Dust", the fizzy Motown on mushrooms horns of "Give It Away" and the heartmelting yearns of "Distractions". Timeless downtempo gold, if this isn't in your collection now is most definitely the time.

Review: When It Falls is a timely but classic album from Zero 7, whose music by the point of 2001 had been firmly planted chiefly among the go-to repertoire for chillout music, before the chillout room itself was ousted from the average club. Sporting such popular singles as 'Home' and 'Warm Sounds', the record also features now-stellar artists Sia Furler and Sophie Barker, pre-empting their latter-day fame with an emphasis on talent alone. The overall sound is slinky and cadenced, daring to incorporate uniques from bossa nova and lounge in what would have otherwise been an incongruous soundworld of breakbeat, trip-hop and electro; this is achieved through as much acoustic instrumentation and as many tactile recordings as possible.