Brokenbeat / Nu Jazz Recommendation June 2016

Review: Thornato delivers the goods wherever he lands, but this latest EP for Wonderwheel might well be the so-called tipping point. Much like some of Jah Wobble's odder works, "Chapinero" mixes far-Eastern melodies with a blend of fresh, contemporary beats, and the same goes for the gentler, more vocal-led sing-song that is "Koz Kazah". On the flip, "Deux A Deux" features Kongo Elektro and the sounds turn more African thanks to a tropical twist of flutes, leaving "Tera Deewana" to deliver the spiritual chanting from the desert lands....

Review: New Orleans nine-piece, The Hot 8 Brass Band, return to their breakthrough track. Arguably one of the best Marvin Gaye covers in the history of versions, Tru Thoughts have commissioned a brace of contemporisations and pressed them limited edition gold vinyl: J Felix adds a light-footed P-funk bedrock, Ibibio Sound Machine add a dubby weight to the drums, light synths and a cheeky guitar lick, Maddslinky lays down a straight up house strut, Werkha gets his jazzy shuffle on while Jonny Faith twists up a little Jamaican flavour with a dancehall beat and light skanks. Sexual.

Review: The third album from Brainfeeder soul man Thundercat gets the coloured vinyl treatment. His haziest, softest and most consistent set so far, his falsetto dulcets wrap around a whirlwind of styles that are tailor made for vinyl. Sloping and sliding into each other all the way, from the slippery wah-wah guitar disco of "Them Changes" to the Plantlife-style funk of "Lone Wolf & Club" to the trippy ambience of "That Moment", we're gradually moved slowly, softly and sweetly throughout.

Review: There's no doubt that Berliner's Max Graef and Glenn Astro are some of the biggest success stories to emerge from the deep house sound and creating their own signature style that's often copied of late, but seldom ever matched! Sure, the dusty hip-hop inspired jams are no doubt indebted to Detroit legends such as Theo Parrish or Andres but they've certainly put their own slant on it and created a new sound for the German capital to be synonymous with. Testament to their success is this LP for the legendary Ninja Tune; The Yard Work Simulator. Nearly a dozen tracks of chilled, sampledelic, MPC driven dope jams that are the perfect soundtrack for a misspent youth in Berlin this Summer. In particular check the raggedy junkyard joint that is "Where Fuck Are My Hard Boiled Eggs" or the psychedelic urban soul jam that is the title track.

Review: Italian twosome Alessandro Trebo and Andrea Benini are virtual veterans, having released their debut album under the Mop Mop alias way back in 2005. Here, they deliver their first new studio set in three years, serving up a warm, rich and evocative set rooted in their usual blend of nu-jazz, reggae, hip-hop, Latin beats and hazy downtempo grooves. The expansive credits reveal just how many live session players were involved (think marimbas, glockenspiel, steel drums, kalimba, modular synthesizers, double bass and a variety of pianos), while beat poet Anthony Joseph adds his distinctive spoken word vocals to a number of tracks. The result is an enjoyable and entertaining set that offers a good balance between stoned, late night explorations and more densely layered compositions.