Vinyl B-Stocks

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


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: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Londoner Cody Currie is a master of dusty and loveably rough-edged house music that is packed with emotional heat. He serves up another fine EP of just that here on Razor-N-Tape and soon wins you over with the synth-laced house funk of opener 'Evernight' (feat Stee Downs & Mik). 'Yes Bruv' (feat Mik) has a more low-slung and late-night deep house sound and then things take a jazzy and broken beat direction on the lounge vibes of 'Holding On' (feat Marlena Dae). On the flip side is the hip-swinging goodness of Vincenzo's remix of 'Everynight' amongst other timeless sounds.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record sleeve damaged, product in working order***


Bringing together a joint history that could keep Simon Schama in brogues for the rest of his days, "Superstructure" marks the union of Christopher Dell - author, director of the Institute for Improvisation Technology Insel and, most importantly, World-renowned vibraphone player - and Roman Flugel (aka Alter Ego, Acid Jesus, Soylent Green etc.). The results are predictably awesome. Plundering styles like coked up Vikings, 'Superstructure' flickers into life through the opening title-track, wherein a Jelinek-esque cushion of wing-clipped syncopations and glitch-fed jazz rustle towards a muted conclusion. Preventing any kind of complacency, Dell & Flugel immediately swap scripts, inviting cascading xylophones and throaty breaks for the duration of "Urban Practise"; a sound which is abandoned wantonly for the scattered vibes-drum duet of "Miniaturisation" and the Hancock flirtations of "Wolkenbugel". Dabbling in blue-sky techno on "4 Door Body Cell", hypno-glitch for "Dirty Realism" and jazz-tickled drum & bass "Habitation", Dell & Flugel prove they're jack of all trades, master of, well, most...

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


If you don't know (well, even if you do know it is still true), Californian multi-instrumentalist Brian Ellis is Egyptian Lover's keyboard player, and is also a member of Campus Christi with Peanut Butter Wolf. He steps out alone here with a new and outlier funk album that shows off his idiosyncratic style. It is a raw and dense sound that mixes up bold funk and gritty psychedelic soul while embracing the darker edges of both styles. Along the way, Ellis explores themes of truth, authenticity and the pitfalls of wealth while reflecting on the cost of giving away one's heart. Tracks like 'The Real Deal' and 'Money Drives Me Crazy 'capture these ideas with unfiltered emotion.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


]Nathan Haines, the renowned New Zealand musician, unveils his 11th studio album, marking his first solo venture since 2014. Known for his talents of saxophone, flute, and composition across jazz, electronic and dance genres, Haines melds his signature jazz sound with vibrant electronic and disco influences on Notes. This labor of love began years ago in collaboration with the late UK producer Phil Asher, whose influence permeates the album despite his passing during its creation. Featuring guest vocalists like UK soul-diva Vanessa Freeman and emerging talents Ajuna Oakes, Ruby Cesan, La Coco, and EO, Notes showcases a diverse range of voices intertwined with Haines's own instrumental strength. With contributions from bassist Jkriv and electronic jazz innovator Mark de Clive-Lowe, alongside beats by Marc Mac and acoustic bass by his father Kevin, the album is full of spirit and musical evolution. Frank Booker's production on three tracks adds depth, while the acoustic rendition of Rare Silk's 'Storm,' featuring vocalist Rachel Clarke, stands out as a poignant artistic highlight.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


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: ***B-STOCK: Small scratches and surface marks on records; label defect on disc 1, side B***


Vick Lavender presents a captivating journey through soulful house music with 'The Time Traveler'. This double LP is a testament to Lavender's deep understanding of the genre, seamlessly blending classic influences with a contemporary edge. From the infectious grooves of '4-11' and 'A Space Love Affair' to the hypnotic rhythms of 'Acid Outpost' and 'Archive 80', the album is a masterclass in soulful house production. Lavender's collaborations with Ammawhat and Angel-A add further depth and dimension, while tracks like 'Misty' and '1981' showcase his ability to craft emotive and atmospheric soundscapes. The extended mixes on Side 3 and 4 provide extended journeys into Lavender's sonic world, highlighting his skills as a DJ and remixer. This is a must-have for any house music enthusiast, a timeless collection that will transport you to the dancefloor and beyond.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Following the success of their acclaimed debut album, Mama Terra returns with a vivid tribute to one of their major influences, Herbie Hancock, where the group have reimagined his groundbreaking 1973 masterpiece, 'Head Hunters', in a live setting. Recorded at the Glasgow Jazz Festival 2024, the album captures the band's energetic performance and their deep respect for Hancock's music. Mama Terra stays true to the spirit of the original while adding their own unique flavour, replacing the synth parts with a captivating blend of vocals, saxophone, and effects-laden bass. The album also incorporates elements from other Hancock classics like 'Cantaloupe Island' and 'Butterfly', creating a dynamic and imaginative tribute to a true jazz legend.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve split at the top but otherwise in great condition***


Zoltan Nagy AKA P60 has spent the last four years slowly building up his Midnight Fashion label and its dedicated downtempo offshoot, Midnight Fashion Chill. Following a handful of solo EPs on the latter imprint, Nagy has now decided to offer up a first imprint compilation - one that not only showcases his work, but also that of Marcel (AKA sometime Cookin' Records artist Marcell Dudas) and Plastic City regular Forteba (AKA Hungarian stalwart Krisztian Dobrocsi). Musically, the set lives up to its' title, offering an enticing and undeniably blazed mix of DJ Calm style trip-hop, warming 1990s style downtempo grooves, slow-burn Baleric soundscapes, Onra-esque neo-boogie beats and warm, deep and languid, jazz-flecked mid-tempo house.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


The split 12" from East London's Portico Quartet and Polish pianist Hania Rani exemplifies how simple ideas can yield remarkable results. Each artist reworked the other's track, with impressive outcomes. Portico Quartet transforms Rani's 'Nest' into a dreamy, ethereal jazz piece, featuring undulating analogue synths, immersive chords, and floaty vocal samples carried by languid jazz drumming. Rani's take on Portico Quartet's 'With, Beside, Against' is even more striking. Her version, minimalistic and sparse, introduces twinkling piano motifs and her evocative vocals, creating a slowly unfolding, cinematic jazz experience. Both interpretations are nothing short of stunning.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


This mini album from Saul, a collaboration-loving duo comprised of Jack Stephenson-Oliver (keys player with Vels Trio) and producer Barney Whittaker AKA Footshooter, could well be one of the most summery-sounding releases of 2022. A gorgeously warm, dreamy and tactile affair that effortlessly joins the dots between classy dancefloor dynamics, laidback electronics, freewheeling jazz musicianship and soulful vocal flavours, it's a genuinely brilliant and highly entertaining affair. Our picks of an extremely strong bunch include the broken beat/electro-boogie fusion of 'Coalesce (featuring Natty Wylah)', the gently two-step influenced deep house soul of Allysha Joy hook-up 'The Light' and the Balearic ambient meets post-dubstep bass music flex of 'Lifted'.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


It's a while since we last heard from Spiral Deluxe, the deep house/nu-jazz fusion project of Jeff Mills, fellow Underground Resistance affiliate Gerald Mitchell, jazz guitarist Kenji Hino and Buffalo Daughter member Umiko Ohno. Having previously released two EPs (in 2017 and 18 respectively), the quartet has finally got round to recording a debut album. Fusing beats and electronics rooted in deep house, jazz-funk and - in a roundabout way - Motor City tech-jazz - with the virtuoso playing of Hino and Ohno, the set delivers a more fluid, instantaneous and loose-limbed exploration of the jazz-house blueprint drawn up by St Germain in the early 1990s. Basically, it's an album that draws the best out of its contributors, and there's no greater praise than that.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks ***


Hungarian outfit Budabeats proudly present Psyched Out Grooves From Hungary (1969-72), their latest compilation tracking the emergence and sure formation of psychedelic rock in Hungary. In the label's own words, "there were barely any drugs in Hungary to begin with", and we take this to be precisely the point. Psychedelia isn't a state that should rely on drugs as a crutch: no, there was something already dormant, but primed for the teasing, in the Hungarian psyche, that lent to its acquired taste for psych in the 60s and 70s. With contributions from "an undercurrent of smaller, semi-professional bands" who persisted in the shadow of a select few huge names, who dominated by dint of their sponsorship by the one, state-owned major label, this comp betrays an insider's knowledge and then some, with highlights from Non-Stop, Sampolo, Neoton, Apostol and Kex standing out as peak-quality Hungarian psych, despite none of these bands ever receiving a breakthrough. Such songs and bands were "the exception, not the norm", the "illusion of a scene".