Cold Busted US Vinilo y CD

Review: Cold Busted has long been setting the standard for hip hop and instrumental goodness. As well as serving up the latest in their Jet Set series this month, they also invite Belgian beatmaker and fine sonic journeyman Sim Nagai to make an entry into the same much-loved series. 'In Rotation' opens with funky drumming and pitch-shifted guitar licks before Latin flavours wash over 'Cuban Delirium,' a deeper beat with reverential pianos. There is a pure beachside bliss to 'Palm Dreams' with its tumbling drums and hits and languid vocal samples and 'Copacabana Sand' completes the trip with a nice shuffling beat and some gorgeous acoustic string work.

Review: Cold Busted ventures into downtempo and Balearic territory here with Vanilla offering up a limited but 7" full of hazy and lo-fi beat sketches that make you ache for a sun lounger and a warm day. The gentle beats of 'Pointbreak' are offset by wonky and detuned chords that bring a sense of irreverence and 'Surfin' Summer' then casts you adrift on nice lazy sax motifs. 'Remember' keeps the grooves slow and low and 'Breeze' shuts down with another cathartic and open-skied sonic excursion. A perfect accompaniment to some mental escapism, then.