Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Colombian DJ and Berlin-based curator Edna Martinez pays vibrant homage to the Caribbean Pico tradition with this raw and electrifying collection. Drawing on decades of sonic exchange between Cartagena, West Africa and the wider Caribbean, the selections move from the Ghanaian coastal bounce of Wulomei's 'Takoradi' to the joyous Angolan sway of Conjunto Ana N'Gola's 'Puxa Odoette'. Edits by Martinez breathe new energy into Zaiko Langa Langa's 'La Tout Neige' and Erick Cosaque's 'Ajaccio', extending the dancefloor potential without diluting their essence. The highlife pulse of Peacocks International's 'Igbala Oso' sits alongside Colombian staples like Los Corraleros De Majagual's 'Remanga' and Claudio Y Su Combo's 'Como Sea'. Each track carries a unique local identity-like Pico Sin Fronteras' 'Abel Llinas'-but together they hum with transatlantic movement. A deeply researched, brilliantly sequenced journey through a scene where the speaker box becomes a passport.

Review: Mixed by Japanese producer and DJ Muro, who has a background in hip-hop, this connoisseur is never short on deep cuts and takes us on a journey through soulful, vintage AOR sonics from his home country. Whilst no two tracks are by the same artist, there's a cohesion to the tracklist thanks to Muro's ear in pulling out things that sit so well together. Asakawa Mak's 1988 cut 'American Night' is a smooth nod to sophisti pop greats Prefab Sprout; whilst Seri Ishikawa's elegant and lush number, 'Eternal 1/2', highlights how innovative she was in forging new sounds back in 1985. These two cuts are just the tip of the iceberg, yet this compilation is an ideal entry point to some of the finest Japanese music of the late 20th century. You can bank on Muro delivering the goods.

Review: ONEGRAM, the cult Japanese reggae band formed in 2011, is back with a new album that takes in everything from their genre-defying journey so far. Though known for blending reggae with lovers rock, they also fold in conscious vibes and disco grooves to their sodden and here the Tokyo-based outfit delivers ten tracks that reflect their unfiltered present. It's their first original album in five years following 2021's cover-focused Random Access Music and highlights include the soulful hit 'After the May Rain,' the groovy 'Crazy For You' (which even got praised by Incognito members) and a dreamy take on Bread & Butter's 1974 classic 'Pink Shadow.'. It's an honest, heartfelt and unmistakably ONEGRAM sound.

Review: It's a remarkable statistic that Payfone - the long-serving production partnership of Phil Passera and Jimmy Day - have not released an album before, despite building up a killer catalogue of singles over the last 12 years. The vinyl-only Lunch, then, is a genuinely significant release .- and, happily, a rather brilliant one too. Featuring an impressive roll-call of guest vocalists and musicians, it sees them deliver six excellent riffs on their analogue-rich, hybrid house/Balearic/nu-disco sound. The plentiful highlights include the dubbed-out, low-slung and atmospheric opener 'Movin' On', the infectious, spaced-out boogie of 'Joan of Arc' (whose chorus will be stuck in your head for days), sensual jazz-funk jam 'Spend The Night' and the warming, sun-soaked delight that is 'Pony Bar'.

Review: California producer Space Ghost teams up with South Carolina-based singer Teddy Bryant for a sun-soaked ode to late 80s and early 90s soul. The record opens with the silky swing of 'Some Things Last Forever', giving way to lush, G-Funk-laced grooves like 'Majestic Fantasies' and club-focused cuts such as 'Unconditional (Club Mix)'. Bryant's vocals glide over Space Ghost's plush instrumentation, with tracks like 'Cheer Me Up' and 'Ultimate Love' channelling UK street soul and the balladry of classic r&b. 'Shine' and 'Ultimate Love', both featuring Morgan, add extra emotional weight. The pair clearly draw from a shared love of Teddy Riley, Jam & Lewis and DeVante Swing, but there's a lightness here that feels rooted in the present too-music that remembers the past without ever getting stuck in it.

Review: Reggie Lucas assembled Sunfire in the early 80s, drawing from a deep well of experience as a guitarist, producer and songwriter behind era-defining hits for Stephanie Mills and Madonna. With Raymond Calhoun and Rowland Smith circum-pleting the trio, Sunfire's self-titled LP distilled their collective pedigree into a lean set of slick, synth-laced funk, whose rubber sound is as taut as liquid elastane. 'Young, Free & Single', their best known track, leads the charge with infectious bounce, flanked by 'Feet', 'Step In The Light' and 'Keep Rocking My Love', breaststroking between boogie, electro and disco-soul, all neatly fastened by the drum machine. Produced just before Lucas' work on Madonna's debut, the record glows with rawhide studio sheen and radio-ready confidence. This limited edition repress comes to just 750 copies on yellow "flamed" vinyl.

Review: Freestyle deliver a curate collection of overlooked UK street soul and boogie from the 80s and early 90s, with standout tracks from the label's recent 12" reissue programme. The collection houses a special mid-90s gem from Manchester's Gold In The Shade, with accompanying photos by Andrew Holligan and liners from Kevin Le Gendre. The sleeve was shot in Hackney, East London, where a vibrant street culture flourished despite the strictures of the Thatcher era. British music evolved at the same time, as larger ensembles shrank in favour of smaller groups with synths, letting boogie's smooth, bass-led sound find life. This transition, alongside the rise of street soul, budded and blossomed a uniquer blend of indie and studio projects, imprinting lastingly on the culture, now repackaged and again represented in The Way U Make Me Feel.