Juno Recommends Brokenbeat / Nu Jazz: July 2022

Review: Brian "Javonntte" Garrett has been cooking up his most stylish and superb deep house sounds for very nearly a quarter of a century now. He has done so on just about any decent label you care to mention and for this crucial 7" he lands on Ten Lovers Music. It is a mind-expanding affair as always with Brian and opens with the shuffling, samba-tinged grooves of 'Wind Of Seven Seas' complete with twinkling keys, pirouetting rhythms and funky bass. On the flip is 'Orion's Belt' which is a cosmic workout that never lets up.

Review: Those who keep a keen eye on the contemporary British nu-jazz scene should already have encountered producer Tom Funk's The Sultan's Swing project. He's already released a trio of fine albums under the alias, each of which combines authentic jazz, jazz-funk and acid jazz instrumentation (provided courtesy of a rotating cast of guest musicians) with nods to trip-hop, downtempo, dub, Balearica and Latin beats. The Sultan's Swing Sessions, Funk's contribution to the Colin Curtis Presents series, takes a similar approach, with predictably excellent results. Our picks of a very strong bunch are the gently spaced-out dancefloor Latin jazz of 'Lotta Arlotto', the summery jazz-fusion of 'Hitchfunkers Slide To The Galaxy' and impeccable opener 'The New Beginning'.

Review: A creative sound experiment, Swedish music producer Axel Boman explores new sonic territories as Massproductions. Two sublime tracks on this one: on side A you can hear the drummer (jazz musician Konrad Agnas) get wicked on the ethereal hypnotiser 'BAM!' (Massproduction dub), while over on the flip is the psychedelic downtempo journey 'Meditation On Furniture By Chris Martin' awash in gliding acid, atmospheric synths and and trippy alien-like voices - although not by 'that' Chris Martin we're told.

Review: Blockhead is New York producer Tony Simon, a revered talent who has put out a wealth of crucial albums. They are all getting reissue treatment now as some are almost 20 years old, but they have weathered that time well. Music By Cavelight is another of his masterful takes on broken beat and nu-jazz and this one comes on nice orange-marbled wax. It peaked at number 43 on the UK Independent Albums Chart back in 2004 when it first landed and it only came to be on Nina Tune after its original label stopped answering the artist's calls.

Review: Is there any more revered digger than Antal, the rush Hour label boss? he has made that label and shop famous around the world for its great and eclectic taste. He has also reinvigorated the catalogues of numerous artists thanks to playing their tunes in his expansive sets so whenever he serves up a comp it's pretty much a buy on sight. Beyond Spec & Time Volume 2 jin the Japanese label of the same names one such example - it's full of broken beat and jazzy treasure that is invigorates the soul and more than makes you want to dance.

Review: Neneh Cherry's upcoming remix album 'The Versions' finally hits our shelves, documenting the classic street soul and pop singer's best known works - but only in the form of cover versions of her most influential songs by other artists, reinterpreting many of the songs from Cherry's extensive back catalogue. Contributing artists include Robyn, Anohni, Greentea Peng, Kelsey Lu, Sudan Archives, and Tyson - as well as a standout cover from revered pop singer Sia, of Cherry's hit song 'Manchild'.

Review: France-via-Brussels duo Nikitch & Kuna Maze are back and in fine form with their new LP for Tru Thoughts. It is a fine development after the success of the signature sound they cooked up on their first - lively broken beat rhythms, sun kissed synth sounds and lovely basslines. Jazz, UKG, Latin, soul and more all feature and there is a real sense of understanding of the 70s classics in the improvised melodies. Some tunes are suave and seductive, some are sweaty and for dancing. All of them are great.

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.

Review: Tony Simon is a hugely prolific producer from New York who serve up a dazzling array of album 20 odd years ago. He found a fine home forth on Ninja Tune who are all reissuing them now on some great looking and sounding vinyl. The Music Scene once again offers up a dazzling mix of sounds and influences from across the world. Hip hop, downtempo, broken beat, jazz and more all feature in his beguiling musical brews as you jump from hypnotic lead to bristle beats and back again.

Review: French artistic and multi-instrumentalist FKJ's glossy brand of funk and soul has reached many a great height. He is by now a well known star around the world so of course the labels he has worked with decided it is now high time we looked back on his. His self-titled album French Kiwi Juice was his first long player and one that showed off the artist's incredible multi-instrumental chops. Super-sweet yet also tart sonic juices from the Franco-New Zealander, returning to this exclusive vinyl pressing.

Review: Meeting Point bring us four slices of moody but musical experiments from the point at which broken beat and bass culture meet. The slow motion of skeletal skank of 'Brass Beat' shows that the duo are capable of tempting plenty of character out of their machines, while 'Morning Air', with its highly pitched synth glories and stop start drums, also show they're not in the least bit bothered about fitting into existing genre frameworks. Fascinating stuff.

Review: Smoothed out, slow motion grooves from LA resident Fields of Mist, who was tempted into the studio on one of his regular trips to Munich and persuaded to lay down this glorious selection of uniquely West Coast-flavoured creations for Ilian Beat Tape. The 12 tracks here vary from the laid back techno of 'Dme03' to 'Ocean Waves', with its exquisite sound design and echoes of Art of Noise's 'Moments In Love', spanning a variety of tempos and moods but keeping its core offering of horizontal waves of synths and chunky but restrained machine beats pretty intact.