Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul charts

Review: Scottish artist Barry Can't Swim has made big moves in the last year or so and finally, he capitalises on his ever-growing momentum with a debut album on the mighty Ninja Tune. The multi-faceted talent explores his most broad and diverse range of sounds to date here with 11 sublime tracks that move from deep house to jazz, heavy and percussive Afrobeat to lush ambiance. Each of the tracks feels like a fine technical achievement with complexity at its core but never at the expense of good vibes, such as the choral harmonies on 'Always Get Through To You', smart samples of Brazil's Trio Ternura on 'Dance Of The Crab' and digital and organic blends on 'Woman.'

Review: Darren Cunningham continues his inimitable exploration as Actress with a new album reportedly informed by game theory. Drawing on the tactics of chess as a framework for creating and releasing his ninth studio album, the artist himself describes this as a 'voyage into luxury sonics', and indeed 'Push Power (a 1)' has a certain languid piano jazz sophistication to it. But there's still plenty of that rugged, off-centre groove beating away underneath, and in its subdued and singular style, it feels like an Actress record through and through. Profound, moving and bold in its originality, this is yet another triumph for an artist who constantly shakes up the conventions of club music.

Review: Mr.Scruff and Ninja Tune are both entities that need little introduction. Veterans of the urban sounding landscape they both go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly. Always creative with naming things, Mr Scruff giving a 'Ninja Tuna' title to this 3x12 is a jammed packed compilation of older tracks as well as different versions of desired and classic Mr. Scruff gems. Included among others are the unique 'Music Takes Me Up' featuring Alice Russell, the addictive quirkiness of 'Whiplash', the funked up, sample-heavy 'Rocking Chair', and the classic 'Nice Up The Function' with Roots Manuva. Mr.Scruff gives us a collection here that demonstrates his amazing ability to make catchy instrumentals while also being elite at featuring singers over his eclectic style. 'Ninja Tuna' is sure to be a favorite with anyone into music regardless of your background or experience in music.

Review: 20 years have now passed since The Cinematic Orchestra unveiled their soundtrack to experimental, Soviet-era silent documentary film The Man With The Movie Camera. As this deluxe, deliciously packaged anniversary reissue shows, it remains one of J Swinscoe and company's most timeless and on-point works - an effortlessly atmospheric affair that blends neo-classical strings and deep, smoky jazz instrumentation with subtle electronics, swelling ambient chords and nods to contemporary music. This time round, the album - which boasts highlights including the fan favourite title track, the dancefloor-ready 'Theme De Yoyo' and the stirring 'All Things' - has been pressed to coloured vinyl and comes accompanied by extensive new liner notes.

Review: A new album from Sam Shepherd AKA Floating Points is always cause for celebration, but even by his standards "Crush" is rather special. Largely eschewing the ambient jazz soundscape shuffle of 2017's "Reflections - Mojave Desert", it sees the Shepherd showcase his musical dexterity in stunning fashion via cuts that wrap shimmering neo-classical strings around what sound like modular electronics and rhythms that variously touch on broken beat, off-kilter experimental D&B and Autechre-style IDM. Of course there are ambient and experimental soundscapes showcased, but it's the fact that the album contains a swathe of formidably dancefloor-focused cuts in the style that first made him standout that pleases us most. Highlights include recent single "LesAlpx", the dreamy "Anasickmodular" and the "People's Potential" style deep house intricacy of "Last Bloom".

Review: Actress is back with another masterful diversion away from the tired old narratives of what dance music used to be. Darren Cunningham himself suggests this record is a 'voyage into luxury sonics', and you can find yourself carried away on some truly exquisite musicality whether it's the meandering jazz piano of 'Push Power (a 1)' or the haunting voices flickering through 'Game Over (e 1)'. Throughout, though, there's still that strong sense of Actress as he's always been, anchored by grubby rhythms, passing through a filter unique to his sound alone. This special edition of the album comes with a bonus disc containing the '88' LP, which originally only came out on tape and digital in 2020.

Review: Given his impressive track record, hopes are naturally high for Bonobo's sixth album, Migration, which is his first full-length since 2013. Happily, it's a majestic affair, with the producer delivering another sumptuous set of tracks. It was partly inspired by an extended period musing on the nature of personal identity, and the role that nationality plays in that. This concept is translated via thoughtful lyrics, and songs that draw musical influence from the four corners of the globe. It's not a big stylistic leap, of course - his bread and butter remains yearning, emotion-rich downtempo music built around gently jazzy grooves and impeccable live instrumentation - but given that few artists do it better than Bonobo, we'll forgive him for that.

Review: It's astonishing to think that two decades have now passed since the Cinematic Orchestra first unveiled Every Day. While not their debut studio set - 'Motion' appeared three years before - it was undoubtedly the album in which Jason Swinscoe and company perfected their widescreen, string-laden and ultra-atmospheric blend of neo-jazz and downtempo. As this re-mastered and lightly expanded anniversary edition proves, the album remains a timeless classic. It's peppered with genuine highlights, with our picks including Fontella Bass hook-up 'All That You Are' (a slow-burn, emotive, downtempo jazz gem), the jazz-funk influenced dancefloor workout 'Flite' (also featured in bonus 'original mix' form), head-nodding hip-hop-goes-jazz gem 'All Things To All Men' (featuring Roots Manuva in his pomp) and 'Man With The Movie Camera', which started life as a new soundtrack to a classic silent movie.

Review: Many happy returns to Mr Scruff's third and most celebrated album, Trouser Jazz, which turned 20 at the tail end of 2022. To mark the occasion, the long-serving, Stockport-born DJ/producer has reissued it on blue and red vinyl and reworked the artwork a bit. It remains a genuinely kaleidoscopic, all-action musical treat that moves in a myriad of different directions, blending quirky and unlikely samples with good grooves, oodles of musicality and plenty of aural colour. Highlights include the jaunty, solo-laden breakbeat bounce of 'Sweetsmoke', the up-tempo soul-jazz of Seaming To collaboration 'Beyond', the 21st century jazz-funk of 'Shrimp', the jazz-flecked hip-hop of 'Shelf Wobbler', the horn-heavy nu-jazz excellence of 'Champion Nibble', and the sample-laden silliness of 'Ahoy There'.

Review: It's certainly true that Ma Fleur represented a pivotal moment for The Cinematics. The outfit came to fruition, or at least hit the common conscience, in the haze of late-1990s post-trip-hop comedowns, a time when we were all still going harder, faster and stronger in clubs but wanted something cosy and velveteen on the after party hifi at 10AM rather than ketamine techno. Far more innocent times to say the least.

This 2007 record broke from the well established mould of the troupe, though, landing five years after its predecessor (Every Day) and opting for a more direct approach to loveliness. A kind of grab you by the throat and make you feel nice type remit that leaves the subtleties of the past behind in favour of more traditional big room, show stopping song craft.

Review: Simon Greene aka. Bonobo is set to put forth yet another album from his own personal ether; 'Fragments' was born from actual sonic 'fragments' that were later repurposed into twelve full 'sonic affirmations'. A later escape into the wilds of California's deserts formed the bulk of this album's downtempo magnum opi; watch out for collabs with a foray of world-downtempo electronica acts including Jamila Woods, O'Flynn and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. One of his most heartfelt albums, expect all from lilting future garage ('Rosewood') to rave-nostalgic slow builds.

Review: Now a globally renowned world music innovator, Simon Green, aka. Bonobo's second album Dial M For Money turns 20 this week. As such it gets a special limited edition reissue from Nina Tune which serves as a welcome reminder of its seductive charms. This version has all new anniversary artwork and a special clear vinyl pressing with a rotating view mechanism built into the sleeve. The emotionally intense and richly layered sounds mix up hypnotic electronic machines with organic acoustic instruments as moods go from life affirming and celebratory to existential worries. Jazz, soul, funk and more all feature in this modern classic.

Review: Legendary Norwegian eight-piece Jaga Jazzist always mixed up post-rock, jazz and psychedelia influences in their own unique way. Never more so was that better exemplified than on The Stix. It was the band's third album released back in May 2003 on Ninja Tune with all songs produced by Jorgen Traeen as well as plenty of musicians playing saxophone, flute, clarinet, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and viola amongst much more, which means it is a texturally, melodically rich album with plenty of soaring highs and emotional themes that ebb and flow in captivating fashion. This special anniversary reissue comes on orange and red double gatefold vinyl.

Review: Top class New York producer Tony Simon has been delving into his archives to serve up reissues of a load of his most crucial albums. From the turn of the millennium onwards, he was a pivotal beat maker, joining the dots between instrumental hip-hop, trip hop, jazz, broken beat and downtempo in his own unique way. Downtown Science manages to be both organic and earthy yet synthetic and futuristic all at once, with real instrumentation and great vocal samples next to killer drums.