Review: UK legend Dego and killer keys-man Kaidi Tatham have been in a rich vein of form of late, dropping brilliant EPs on Eglo, Sound Signature and Rush Hour (the latter under their 2000Black alias). Here, they return to Eglo with four more slices of warm, rich, soul-flecked fluidity. As with previous outings, much of the material has a laidback jazz-funk feel, particularly "Orbiting Uhara" and the delicious "The Vault Descends" (think bustling bruk rhythms and darting boogie synths). They also offer up some tougher, synth-laden bruk-funk in the shape of "Man Made", while "Black Is Key" sees them unfurl a head-nodding vocal roller.
Review: London-based beat smith K15 is a UK answer to the likes of Kyle Hall - his house music is steeped in jazz, soul and funk. His drums are dusty and loose - and louche - and his moods are deeply meaningful. His latest EP is another case in point with three more sublime and seductive sounds. 'Still Devoted' is a downtempo cut with analogue drums and gorgeous female vocals soaring up top with the elegance of a church choir. 'State Of Play' has a fantastically cosmic outlook and a nimble bassline that rides its own ride as the synths soar and 'Time Reveals' then closes down with a more melancholic but no less beautiful vibe.
Review: Karen Nyame KG, aka the "Goddess of Rhythm," presents her new EP here and it's another one designed for big things. The title track, 'The Remedy,' is a classic soulful house sounds with great bounce and glossy jazz infusions that are perfect for the last days of summer in the UK. Meanwhile, also included is 'Ritual', which is a stark contrast featuring nods to her Afro-electronic roots. It boasts a powerful low end, seductive horns, an earth-shaking bass line as well as a rhythmic groove that makes it a standout club weaponon the newly established London label One Level.
Review: Long-serving, jazz-loving deep house duo Kemetic Just have been working with Terrence Downs for years, with the singer's soulful vocals appearing on many of their tracks over the last two decades. There's no original mix of 'We R Culture' here, but rather a quartet of club-ready remixes. DJ Spinna leads the way with vocal and instrumental variations of his 'Galactic Soul Mix' - a gorgeously colourful, pin-sharp shuffle through synth-powered deep house loveliness with all of the intricate musical touches and kaleidoscopic keyboard solos you'd expect from the NYC producer. Elsewhere, Wipe The Needle re-frames the track as a breezy, musically rich slab of jazz-funk-tinged broken beat of the sort regularly served up by Dego and Kaidi Tatham, while the Househeads mix is a carnival-ready, samba-house treat.
Review: Mood Hut's semi-regular forays into ambient-adjacent territory are always worth checking, largely for their preference for hallucinatory sounds, new age melodies and loved-up textures over academic concepts and po-faced experimentalism. Their latest chill-out room friendly missive, which comes courtesy of Chinese producer Knopha, embraces this approach while also offering nods to his own off-kilter dancefloor productions. So, opener 'Fizz', a languid, post-club shuffler, is followed by the jazz-flecked, opiate ambient soul of 'The Light', and the sun-bright joy of 'Mizu Le Gout', where loose-limbed breakbeats, star-burst melodies and cut-up vocal snippets catch the ear. Arguably best of all, though, is the EP-closing 'Corundrum', where Mediterranean guitar sounds and echoing electronic motifs cluster around a UK garage-influenced ambient house groove.
Review: Kool Keith's album Keith's Salon was a big hit when it came out back in 2001. It was produced by the talented electronic mainstay Bruno Pronsato and now it has been remixed with just as much elan by a stellar team assembled by French label Logistic. First to reimagine Kool Keith's hip-hop hit 'Wiggle' is the masterful micro-house don Losoul who keeps it deft and abstract. Ben Nevile then brings crunchy texture and slow motion beats to his version. Last of all, Flabbergast (aka Vincent Lemieux and Guillaume Coutu Dumont) keep things elegant with lovely hits riding a skeletal rhythm and with shuffling pads down low.
Review: Mukatsuku celebrates its 100th release on vinyl with two tracks lifted from the excellent, Japanese-only long player Message From A New Dawn from Kyoto Jazz Massive, recently celebrating their 30th year anniversary of production and releases. Both tracks here are given full versions and their own side of wax for extra loud play and have been highlights of the ongoing live sets around the world from the outfit. KJM present their vision of the ultimate crossover electric jazz fusion and it all adds up to a fresh take on their iconic sound, crafted to push boundaries and inspire the future of nu jazz.
Review: The third release from Soul In The Horn features tracks from Rockwilder and KingPros, the former's 'Love In Need' proving to be a captivating mid-tempo house rendition of a classic tune by the esteemed hip-hop producer, blending the original melody with the soulful rhythms and textures of mid-tempo house. King Pros' 'You Had to Know' is a powerful mid-tempo rework of a very well respected voice. The result is two stunning tracks that demonstrate the versatility and vitality of the genre.
Review: Ever a treasure trove of house goodness, Toy Tonics Music is back with Para Mytho Disco, the second album by label founder and creative director Mathias Modica who is also known as Kapote. His work as Munk on Gomma Records might be his best-known stuff at the moment but this album goes a long way to redressing that with its fresh take on disco house, experimental electro, jazz fusion and Afro-American grooves. All of that is distilled through a futuristic mix of keys, bass, synths and percussion inspired by 1970s jazz and 1980s synthwave. As such this record reflects Kapote's vision of bringing diverse musical styles together to create a positive, inclusive vibe and is own that yields more rich detail with each listen.
Review: With their debut album on !K7 Records, Kassian (aka the pairing of Joe Danvers-McCabe and Warren Cummings) return to the warm, sample-based house sounds that originally brought them together. Over five years, they revisited early ideas, refining their craft to create a record that explores emotional depth beyond their club-focused tracks. The album has been, we're told, shaped by time, loss and reflection so weaves through various atmospheres with live instrumentation, field recordings and percussion that evolve over time. Featuring Joe Armon-Jones from Ezra Collective on keys and Timothy Kraemer on cello, Channels makes for a tender and introspective journey.
What Am I Supposed To? (Kaidi Tatham remix) (6:11)
Turn This Around? (Eric Lau remix) (4:25)
Freak & Fly (4:17)
Clarity (4:51)
Review: Ruth Koleva hails from Sofia, Bulgaria, and has been a TV star and singing out concert halls for years. She has also long been singing on some superb broken beat and nu-jazz records while working with top-level production talent and having her tunes remixed by Zed Bias, Kaidi Tatham, Mark de Clive-Lowe and Eric Lau. The neo-soul star's Ruth album gets a special anniversary edition release here with four heart-melting and textbook neo-soul tunes on the A-side then some super remixes on the flip. This is timeless stuff that works on the heart and the heel in equal measure.
Review: Evergreen jazzers Shuya and Yoshihiro Okino mark an impressive 30 years performing and recording as Kyoto Jazz Massive with this superb selection of favourite covers the brothers have enjoyed playing across their storied careers. Embellished with the vocal prowess of Vanessa Freeman and Bembe Segue, the immaculately presented collection blends elements of Latin, jazz, disco and funk over a typically fusionist set. Opening with the gentle waves of 'Black Renaissance', the record bursts into life with the samba flex of 'Kowree Sambazzi'. The soul-heavy thrust of 'No Cross No Crown' stirs the senses, before the nocturnal energy of 'Karmapa Chenno' veers ever so slightly off-piste with its jagged rhythms and grooves. Finally, the hands-in-the-air positivity of 'Love Is Everywhere' ends on a joyously uplifting note.
Review: Kyoto Jazz Massive returns with a new era of sound. It has been 20 years since Eclipse and 19 years since Spirit of the Sun but now their highly anticipated second album, Message From A New Dawn, is finally here. This record marks an evolution of the line-up into a full band and blend of techno, jazz, house, boogie, soul, broken beats, fusion, Afrobeat, and more as Kyoto Jazz Massive presents their vision of the ultimate crossover electric jazz fusion, and featuring none other than the legendary Roy Ayers. It all adds up to a fresh take on their iconic sound, crafted to push boundaries and inspire the future of jazz.
Review: Shuya Okino is a DJ, club owner, writer and producer as well as being a part of the Kyoto Jazz Massive, and has been a vital figure in the Japanese club scene for over three decades. He is involved in a wide range of projects from Cosmic Village to Root Soul to Mondo Grosso, but his work with brother Yoshihiro as Kyoto Jazz Massive might be his best. This new album is another standout fusion of synth, broken beat and nu-jazz styles. Some of the tunes are pure dance floor heaters such as the prickly vibes of 'Get Up' while others gaze off to a cosmic future such as the gorgeous synths of 'Visions Of Tomorrow'. Essential.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.