Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: Lisa Decker makes a return with two new singles here that are taken from her upcoming album which is due in May of this year. It comes two years after her debut with the Japanese jazz trio Nautilus and marks something of a conceptual shift in her sound. 'Love & Hope' finds her turn in a stylish jazz vocal with funky bass loops and organic drums and percussion that straddle many different genres. 'Summer Child' then sinks into a nice smooth jazz-funk vibe with soft focus chords bringing a touch of class to her breezy vocals.

Review: New Digital Fidelity has been making sweet moves recently with a debut on the lauded Moods & Grovers label out of Detroit followed up by a single on his own Scopic Records. Now he brings his class to Crush On The Beachside and again shows off his love of Detroit house vibes. Opener 'Crush On The Beachside' is raw and intense with humid chords and jacked-up drums, then 'Shattered' brings more loose and jumbled beatdown grooves and 'Crush On The Beachside' (K15 remix) is then bubbly, jazzy and cuddly. 'Cracking' rounds out with more rich chord work and bristling drum funk.

Review: Presenting a standout 45 from Jalen Ngonda and his bandia release that's already making waves. With 'Illusions' gracing the BBC Radio 2 A-List and 'Rapture' lighting up BBC Radio 6, these tracks deserved a spin on vinyl. Packed with sophisticated arrangements and grooves so smooth they practically glide, Jalen's voice holds it all together with a richness only seasoned live performance brings. Both sides are primed to ignite dancefloors, adding class to soul nights around the world.

Review: Jalen Ngonda is the latest talent to join the excellent ranks of US label Daptone. Here he serve sup his first music after a life formed in just outside of Washington D.C.. Since age 11 he has been deep into the joys of soul music and now he is a standalone artist with incredible skills. Here hex pores mid-tempo and mellow sounds with their own unique take on his Motown roots. 'Just Like You Used To' has a warm rhythm section that allows Jalen's vocals to soar. Flip it over for 'What a Difference She Made' with its lush strings and plaintive vocal.

Review: Jalen Ngonda shares two 7"-incarnated selections from his debut album Come Around and Love Me. Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Jalen perform live knows that he is one of the most captivating performers on today's soul scene. His voice, equal parts raw feeling and elegance, exudes confidence and charm - disarming packed rooms of rowdy concert-goers, leaving them silent as they hold fast to every syllable sung. For his studio project, however, Ngonda and his team at Hive Mind Studios in Brooklyn developed skulful blends, heavy arrangements and introspective lyrics with a Motown sophistication, leaving the listener in a blissful wash of wonderment. Ngonda creates a classic approach that is rooted in the sounds of revered pioneers, without falling into imitation; most symptomatic of this is the beautiful cinematic soul echoer 'What Is Left To Do', a song sure to dazzle for years to come.

Review: Jalen Ngonda's latest single, That's All I Wanted From You, features his exceptional talent for soul music. Released on Daptone Records, the track features beautifully orchestrated melodies under Ngonda's stirring vocals. With a perfect blend of raw edge and melody, the song includes female backing vocals that evoke a soothing nostalgia. The tight rhythm section propels the track into a rousing bridge, making it a standout piece. Ngonda, originally from Washington, DC, and now based in London, has excited audiences with his vintage soul appeal and unique personality. Having played major festivals and sold-out shows in Europe, his signing with Daptone has generated significant buzz. 'That's All I Wanted From You' is available on 7", and it cements Ngonda's status as a modern soul artist with an old soul charm.

Review: London soul-jazz composer and producer Andrei Nikolsky - formerly of the equal-parts Palace Records favourite The Kanpai Quartet - now broadcasts yet two more heavy-hitters from straight from the label whose logo pulls from the iconographic Crystal Palace Transmitter. 'Botchit & Scarper' is heard far and wide, hijacking the airwaves with what sounds at face value like an unsound moral principle - but on second listen to its slack-shouldered ease, whimsied brass and scaphoid drumming, might function just as well as a principle for free living. Of course, if something's worth doing then it's worth doing "botched", though Nikolsky currently hasn't botched this one. 'Wafty' follows as the blue piano sojourn, replete with plinking ninths and a hiss-hummed rhythms section.