Back catalogue: Balearic/Downtempo

Review: Even many years after his sad death, the global audience for Nujabes' music continues to grow. To honour the tenth anniversary of his passing, Hydeout Productions asked Haruka Nakamura to create a tribute album and encouraged him to move forward while preserving Nujabes' timeless essence. The project began with the release of the music video and 7" vinyl of 'Reflection Eternal' and now the full album Nujabes PRAY Reflections arrived featuring Nakamura's reinterpretation of Nujabes' melodies through piano and guitar. This is not a traditional cover album, but new music inspired by Nujabes with artwork by Cheryl D. McClure that blends both artists' creative worlds.

Review: Hydeout Productions turn their attention once more to the ever-influential lo-fi hip-hop pioneer Nujabes (Jun Seba). Seba's simple formula for cooking up stirring beats - sampler-driven loops, piano overlays, and reverberative flows from guest rappers over and above - has proven timeless so far. His debut LP Metaphorical Music evinces the artist's mastery from the jump, with no letup on quality and handicraft thereafter. Through these serene beats, with enduring features from English-speaking compatriots Cise Starr, Shing02 and Substantial guesting, we're left to wonder what exactly the titular conceit is. Research hardly does the trick: despite the name, these are free-floating, proto-cloud rap sonic phosphenes, not overt concepts. The vibe of relaxation is present throughout, and Nujabes' emphasis on the instrumental despite the rap features are also evident, with floaty beat-centric breakdowns and abrupt easings of flow, present throughout.