Rhythm Section International Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Following a couple of low-key EPs and mini-albums on tiny independent labels, Cousin Kula's debut full-length has been snapped up by Rhythm Section International. It was a shrewd move by boss man Bradley Zero, because Double Dinners is undeniably lovely. Lusciously executed and pleasingly laidback, it sees the Bristol band effortlessly join the dots between horizontal, soft-focus jazz-rock, shuffling downtempo grooves and dewy-eyed soul. It's a far more warming, comforting and meditative affair that some of their more raucous and upbeat output, something that band puts down to composing it during lockdown, when meditative music was a necessity. Even as society begins to open up, it still feels essential - a sign of the album's timeless class.

Review: Rhythm Section International, helmed by "Executive Producer" Bradley Zero, has barely put a foot wrong since launching in 2014. Here, the Peckham imprint welcomes Tom Harris AKA Hidden Spheres into the fold. He hits the mark from the off, layering up twinkling pianos, mutant synthesizer lines, bluesy vocal samples and huggable deep house grooves on "Well Well". Another deep, sun-kissed, almost horizontal house excursion can be found on the B, with the intricate and tactile "Your Effect" impressing. Elsewhere, Harris explores the dusty, downtempo side of his repertoire, with the jazzy "Land" sounding like a long lost Ninja Tune jam from the mid '90s.

Review: Rhythm Section returns to what they do best: sectioning off the best rhythms and leasing them to a needy house-loving consumer base. Wallace's 'Ripples' cordons off six blossomy, city-slicker house heaters, representing the darker and harder-hitting side of the label. Wallace is known as something of a recluse, but his own Tartan imprint and official releases on the likes of Lobster Theremin and Banoffee Pies have proven this kind of reticence to be irrelevant for success, in hi case. Classic sampledelic house ('Whirl') moves into totally unique future house stompers ('Room 1') and atmospheric rainsoakers ('Shanghai Street') on this limited release, seeming to represent at least two sides of one musical coin.