Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Well Curated is a series of releases and parties that - in its own words - "reflects the ethnomusicology of the last 50 years of music" - and aims to reach into all genres, merging classic styles and breaking down barriers. Steve Spacek occupies the A-side with the breezy broken beat and soul-in-space of 'Alone In Da Sun', while Lukid's 'Hair Of The Dog' is a more intense counterpart, with wobbling sub-bass and swirling, surging atmospherics hovering above.

Review: Brit-boogie obscurity alert! You might not be familiar with La Famille - a short-lived group established by jazz guitarist Alan Weekes, whose members also included then future Soul 2 Soul singer Caron Wheeler and a pre-fame Cleveland Watkiss - but in 'Dancer', they made one of the loveliest jazz-funk/boogie crossover records of the early 1980s. Originally a white label-only release and near impossible to find since, the record has long been crying out for a reissue. It has all the ingredients you'd expect - squelchy synth-bass, soulful vocals, leisurely jazz guitars, drum machine beats and an overriding sense of musical sweetness - and is presented in equally essential vocal and instrumental mix variations.

Review: Lady Wray's Piece of Me is a second sizzling album of superb soul. It marked something of a homecoming for the artist as she debuted on this label back in 2016 and found her leaning towards her usual soul and r&b as well as more hip-hop influences than ever: classic boom-bap drums and chunky bass hist loud and proud and for that reason the originals are ripe for remixing as they are here. Two legends of the game in Pete Rock and Ghostface Killah step up and bring their own signature sound and dusty drum beats to make for a crucial little 7".

Review: Tommy Largo is a big deal in the world of jacking house and here he lands on Greenhouse Recordings with plenty of evidence to support that. His sound comes steeped with Southern influences on opener 'BBQ Ribs' with its noodling jazz chords and spoken word mutterings making for a lively atmosphere over funky beats. The Jam Funk Remix has a Chicago bump to it with the jazzy keys left in place over well-swung drums. 'On No Not Again' hints at new jack swing with its steamy sax lines and effortlessly catchy groove before 'BBQ Ribs' (Oddphonic remix) closes out with the deepest sound of the lot, perfect for when the sun has gone down and the party heads indoors.

Review: The Craft Music label is back after a one year break with some fresh new cuts by resident Marco Lazovic. It's an EP inspired by the sound of the English club scene in the nineties and noughties, labels like Good Looking Records and artists such as Mike Millrain. Opener 'Losin Control' sure is a compelling mix of electro and breaks that soars on cosmic lines with euphoric vocals in the distance. 'Come To London' has a distinctly garage feel to it with its crisp broken beats and there is more high energy but melody-rich breakbeat action in 'Dark Gravity' while 'Space Jazzy' is s super sweet and deep jungle cruiser.

Review: LDS takes no prisoners on this blistering new techno workout for Exos' Planet X & X/OZ labels. Opener 'Karplusfunk' is a 100-mile-an-hour assault with caustic hit hats over clipped, kinetic drums. Manic synth lines ride up and down and the energy levels are off the chart. 'Mvoper FM' is slightly paired back but is still warp-speed icy techno to take dance floors on a white knuckle ride through the cosmos. The Exos remix of 'LD5' has snares that sound like sheet metal blowing in the wind while solar clouds peel off the groove. The flip side offers two more cuts of head-melting techno experimentalism.

Review: 'Mysticisms' prides itself on finding the groove, but with a nod (and wink) to discerning ears. However, sometimes it's right to just let it all out and go route one. Berlin based producer Daniel Scholz aka (DJ) Leinad was all about the dancefloor, releasing a series of simple but highly effective EPs of cut up, looped house music that summed up that late 90s Chicago-NYC-London-Paris influenced bombs.

The jack that house built the "heroes" with the "touch" Souvenirs embodies Leinad's sound. Moving from high-school DJ, to computer programmer to professional producer, DJ and soundtrack artist, remixing for the likes of Yellow and Peter Gabriel's Real World, moving from early classic mid-90s German techno and trance releases on to his 'Leinad' moniker (Daniel spelt backwards), the series of releases on JXP can now go for dizzing sums. In Souvenirs, taken from the Disco Part's III EP, Mysticisms found the source - elastic bass, filtered loops, watertight kick and twisted disco'n' strings, all cut back and forth 'for the party' to abandon.

Present day remixes come from Lewie Day's 'Deep Dean' project, offering a wonderful example of an artist at work, a laid back groove, pushing all the right dancefloor buttons, all presented with respect to the past, but with acres of modern day swing; Mysticisms' own cohort Piers Harrison, side stepping his edit school as one of Soft Rocks, to produce a literal peak time acid banger; and to close the 'DJ' returns, Leinad offers a bumping 2022 remake to show he's still a teacher.

Guru The Mystery.

Review: This second collection of edits from Italy's matter-of-fact Edits Collection label offers another quarter of superbly feel-good disco sounds. 'Slow Luv' has lush strings and plenty of Philly vibes, while 'Stranger Beat' layers up the jumbled percussion, sliding hi-hats and funky bass. Flip it over for 'Xpress Yourself' which is sure to weave its way into your soul with its hip-shaking groove and more funky bass frets than you know what to do with. 'Xpress Yourbeats' is a more raw and drum focused sound for amping up those energy levels on the floor.

Review: The Leonhart Brass Band, the latest project from trumpeter Michael Leonhart, was born out of the 2020 lockdown, an inventive response to the halt of his 18-piece orchestra performances at NYC's Jazz Standard. Stripped down to a brass-heavy ensemble that could perform outdoors without amplification, Leonhart took inspiration from classic brass bands like Dirty Dozen and Rebirth, blending in hip-hop and funk influences to create a unique sound. The opening track, 'Jabbar', is a tribute to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the basketball icon with a rich jazz background. Centred on an infectious bass riff in C minor, Leonhart's trumpet and Jason Marshall's bass saxophone deliver bold, brassy solos, conjuring the vitality and strength of the track's namesake. Another standout is 'The Iceman', a nod to George Gervin, the basketball great known for his unflappable demeanour on the court. The brass section splits into two distinct groups, creating counterpoint melodies that mirror Gervin's grace and intensity. Stuart Bogie's baritone sax solo, complete with tape echo, adds an unexpected texture, grounding the track in a deep, funky groove. With members from Antibalas, the Dap-Kings, and Red Baraat, the Leonhart Brass Band fuses tight musicianship with an exhilarating energy that carries the weight of New Orleans tradition, while forging its own path in the modern jazz and funk worlds.

Review: Bengoa's Athens-based-label B2 Recordings has impressed over its first nine releases. The 10th is another fine one to mark the mini-milestone and it comes from Lex, who was last on the label a couple of years ago. His star has only continued to rise since then with fresh beats on the likes of Samosa and Leng and now his brilliant disco house fusions find more new heights with 'Fast Jags.' This is a cosmic workout that slowly builds on nice loose drums with astral pads circling around you and keys withering in sci-fi fashion. Bengoa offers up a raw edit that brings some deeper jazz keys and tumbling bongos and Felipe Gordon's Deep Funk remix ups the house vibes with a nice thumping groove.

Review: Aussie minimal house man Litmus turned heads with his outing on Up The Stuss last year and now is likely to do so again with another fresh offering, this time via the Aesthetic label. His sound taps right into what is hot right now - spaced out breaks, tech and minimal. 'Round & Round' is a vocal laced broken beat tech cut with slamming drums. 'Profiterole' keeps it tightly coiled with infectious and bouncy drum funk and 'The Rippers' then slips and slides with all the evasive skills of a master boxer. 'Talkie Walkie' closes out with a more busy and trippy mix of synths and percussion.

Review: Wilfred Luckie's 'My Thing' is a Trini private soul track in the key of Marvin Gaye. This stellar floater features excellent, subtle electronics, making it a top pick. Originally recorded in 1978, this very rare vinyl gem now sees a proper reissue. The smooth jam continues to wow listeners over 40 years later, with its lovemaking and tongue-in-cheek sexual lyrics still bringing smiles. A key element of the song's uniqueness is the strange and spacey electronics in the background, an unusual yet perfect mix for a soul track. This blend of various elements creates a standout piece, making it a true gem and a unique song.

Review: Lurka ended the year on a high with a kick-ass new EP on his own new label Make Your Own Meaning. He is now set to start 2023 in an equally strong fashion with four more futuristic bass fusions. 'Wire' is a minimal stepper with bursts of bass and flitting percussive lines. 'Molten Drum' is another twitchy mix of malfunctioning computer sounds, refracted vocals and fizzing synths that keep you on edge then 'Machine' picks ups the pace with jumpy rhythms and militant snare work. 'Zone (Packet)' rounds out with a double-speed workout and juke patterns that head out on a cosmic journey.

Review: Lurka is back on his own label Damage which is a place for harder-edged sounds and here includes remixes from Ossia. The one original, 'Red', is a thrilling rhythmic workout with a skeletal kick drum pattern that is broken and loopy, and deft percussion layered in over the top next to wet synths and undulating bass. Ossia's first rework spins it out into a more distorted and manic cut fizzing with static electricity while the second is slightly more paired back but no less menacing. This one has been mastered at Scape in Berlin and is mad limited to just 100 copies so do not wait around.

Review: Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, the Compton-based rapper's first album since 2012's major label debut, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, has been receiving rave reviews. In truth, it's not hard to see why. Imaginative, soulful, and blessed with the looseness of live performance (a result of the use of jazz-minded live players as much as anything else), it sounds like the kind of album that may one day be hailed as a hip-hop classic. Sure, there are big name guests - Dre, Snoop, George Clinton and Thundercat included - but the focus remains on Lamar's distinctive flow and almost cinematic tales of life on L.A's streets. Given the quality of his lyrics, that's no bad thing.

Review: Looooooongish Cat and Davecoin have come together for their debut album Realizer on Adeen. It is a record that swings from the dark and mysterious to the more upbeat and playful as it explores a range of techno styles. The material originates from the pair's live set so has a real dynamism to it as well as it moves through ever-evolving psychedelic soundscapes. Vocals, synth lines, and guitars have all been laid down on tape and then resampled and deconstructed to "create an analog patchwork which floats over the hard-hitting beats and fat analog synths and bass lines." It's an immersive and inventive record that also has a fresh cover design.