Review: 7FO's Ryu no Nukegara (meaning "dragon's husk") is a warm, inviting trip through ambient, dub and chill-out soundscapes. The Osaka-based producer blends sparse electronic percussion with dub-style synth bass and pentatonic melodies, while also using steel pan tones that bring an Okinawan or Southeast Asian touch. Fans of Haruomi Hosono and Equiknoxx will find much to love in this record's trans-oceanic textures with sparkling dub processing and thoughtful mixing throughout. A magical record that embodies strength, fluidity and meditative depth.
Review: This two-disc compilation serves as both a tribute and a comprehensive dive into the legacy of one of hip-hop's most influential groups. A Tribe Called Quest were instrumental at the start of the 90s for helping the hip-hop genre move into more conscious lyrics that thanks to the members, took storytelling to a new level. Creating some of the most catchy tracks in hip-hop history, the group continue to grow in respect as one of the best acts in the genre of all time. With a mix of career-defining hits, rare B-sides and fresh remixes, this package is a rich exploration of their artistry. Tracks like 'Can I Kick It?', 'Electric Relaxation' and 'Scenario' stand as monuments to their enduring impact, racking up millions of streams and inspiring new generations of listeners. Previously unreleased gems 'Mr. Incognito' and 'The Night He Got Caught' feel right at home alongside anthems like 'Award Tour' and 'Bonita Applebum', highlighting the group's versatility and storytelling prowess. The inclusion of remixes, such as 'Lyrics To Go (Tumblin Dice Remix)' and 'Oh My God (Remix)', adds layers of freshness to timeless classics. The attention to detail in this collection is remarkable. Tracks like 'Jazz (We've Got)' and 'Check The Rhyme' sound revitalised, with crisp production showing their intricate melodies and sharp lyricism. From the playful narrative of 'I Left My Wallet in El Segundo' to the bold swagger of 'Buggin' Out,' every track contributes to the story of a group widely considered to be one rap's all time greats.
Review: The hip-hop legends' fourth album, released in 1996, marked a pivotal shift in their musical journey. The production, led by The Ummahia collective including Q-Tip and the late J Dillaiintroduced a more minimalist and darker tone compared to their earlier, jazz-infused works. Tracks like '1nce Again' and 'Stressed Out' exemplify this evolution, blending introspective lyrics with innovative beats. The reissue offers a renewed appreciation for the group's willingness to experiment and evolve, highlighting a significant chapter in their discography.
Review: A2L were active between 1988 and 1990 and released two albums and several EPs on labels like 1st Bass, Big One and Force Inc. Their sound blended British psychedelic house with elements of new beat, industrial, EBM and early acid house and in doing so captured the raw energy of the UK rave scene. Notably different from typical acid house acts of the time, A2L's music took in machine funk, samplers and turntable techniques to create trippy, infectious grooves. This collection compiles rare underground gems from them from 1989 and features standout tracks like 'Even Though It's Make Believe' and 'Come On.' It's a great look back to the experimental spirit of the late 80s.
Review: The Abstract Eye often works live and crafts tunes in one take, and that MO is the idea behind this new collection. It features plenty of hard-to-define sounds from over the last ten years, many of them with a cosmic synth outlook and raw analogue drums. 'Skyfather' is a real eye opener with its sense of mystic cosmic wonder, 'Real Myths' fizzes bring as burning phosphorus and 'A Yearning Feeling' is more paired back and introspective with jittery drums and electro rhythms all soothed by the melancholic synth work.
Review: In celebration of 50 years in the performing arts, Idris Ackamoor presents Artistic Being for Record Store Day 2025-a powerful blend of jazz, spoken word and activism. Featuring the voices of acclaimed actor Danny Glover and stage legend Rhodessa Jones, this record captures highlights from the Underground Jazz Cabaret, which was performed during Black History Month 2024 at The Lab in San Francisco. Co-produced by Ackamoor's Cultural Odyssey, the release fuses poetic storytelling with evocative musical textures while reflecting on social justice, identity and resilience. Artistic Being is a profound statement from a visionary artist.
The Tree Knows Everything Revisited (feat Kirsty Hawkshaw) (8:04)
Circles Revisited (extended) (5:35)
Mother Earth Revisited (5:01)
Dirty Harry Revisited (5:34)
F-Jam Revisited (feat MC Conrad) (5:41)
Aromatherapy Revisited (6:57)
Review: Colours Revisited isn't just a nod to Adam F's 1997 Colours but a wholly reconstructed journey that blends the echoes of late 90s drum and bass with new layers of live instrumentation. Rather than dusting off the original, Adam F digs deep, pairing soulful grooves with UK jazz virtuoso Julian Joseph's keys and the rich textures of re-recorded vocals by Kirsty Hawkshaw. A standout, 'Metropolis' channels the Metalheadz-issued original's punch with a vivid, rhythmic pulse, while 'Music in My Mind' echoes Herbie Hancock's influence. The album pulses with both reverence and reinvention, casting classic tracks in a fresh sonic space where analogue warmth meets carefully layered modernity. This is Colours, all brilliantly retold for a new era.
Review: Laurel Aitken's High Priest of Reggae album is an early classic of the genre from 1969, and it captures the ska pioneer at a pivotal moment when he was blending his Jamaican roots with the evolving UK reggae scene. It came on Pama Records and shows Aitken's versatility with cuts like 'Jesse James' and 'Landlords and Tenants,' both a testament to his storytelling lyrical prowess over inventive rhythms down low. Songs such as 'Haile Selassie' reflect his engagement with the burgeoning roots reggae movement, while the classic crossover jam 'Skinhead Train' nods to his influence on the skinhead subculture. This album earned Aitken the status of the "Godfather of Ska" and it's easy to hear why listening back to this reissue.
Private Dancer (feat Iron Curtis - extended) (5:42)
The Night (Moves On) (extended) (4:38)
Patterns Everywhere (extended) (4:18)
Follow The Strings (2:54)
Squeeze Me Tight (extended) (4:31)
Review: German mainstay Johannes Albert returns after a six-year hiatus with his third club album, Private Dancer, and it's worth the wait. As expected, it is a deep dive into refined house music full of maturing production, warm textures, subtle grooves and emotive undertones. The standout title track features longtime collaborator Iron Curtis, and together they craft a hypnotic blend of classic deep house with modern minimalism. Highlights include the gentle grooves and percussion of 'L'Chaim', the steamy nocturnal soul of 'The Night (Moves On' and 'Follow The Strings', which is a more punchy heater. It's the sound of a seasoned producer delivering understated dancefloor gold.
Review: Fusion five-piece Aldorande are no fustians when it comes to full-length LPs. These self-styled groove adventurers remain radically open to the sound, thanks to their stylistic touchstone, 70s funk, and its diachronic conduction of future styles. Recorded on tape in a top Parisian studio, their third record Trois brims with trifect textures, bold phrasing, and soaring choral waves. Mathieu Edouard's precise drumming is glued to the spot by Erwan Loeffel's plaited percussion, all the while Laurent Guillet's fingertips and Florian Pellissier's splayed hands make the best uses of Fender Rhodes, axe and Minimoog.
Review: Second time around for eccentric Sheffield trio The All Seeing I's sole full-length excursion, 1999's Pickled Eggs & Sherbert, which here lands on vinyl for the first time.The album, a celebration of Steel City creativity featuring cameos from Cocker, Tony Christie, Babybird and the Human League's Phil Oakey, is best remembered for hit singles 'The Beat Goes On', 'Walk Like a Panther' - lyrics reportedly penned by Jarvis Cocker - and 'The First Man in Space', but there are plenty more highlights amongst the unique blends of fractured dancehall rhythms, redlined electronica, oddball easy listening references, experimental d&b rhythms and genuine leftfield pop nous. For proof, check out blissful acapella number 'No Return' (where Lisa Millett plays a starring role), the breathless, bass-heavy house of 'Sweet Music', the weighty madness of 'I Walk' and the exotica-goes-big beat flex of 'Happy Birthday Nicola'.
Review: Sun Ra Arkestra's bandleader since 1958, Marshall Allen, will always be known for his hyper-effected sax wayfarings; he treats a simple monophonic brass instrument as a vessel for psychic voyaging, onstage and off. Perhaps, however, this has meant he's been too freewheeling in his approach: Somehow, in over 70 years since joining the Arkestra, Allen had never recorded a solo album. That all changed just two days after his 100th birthday, resulting in what you hear here. Now the debut album by a live legend unfolds, like a rogue planet hidden behind a supernova. This proverbial "new dawn" draws on both new beginnings and legacies, waxing gibbous between big band swing, freer-form danceoffs, and even a vocal hoverer with Neneh Cherry.
Review: After a run of hit singles on Penrose Records, The Altons are primed to release their debut album, Heartache in Room 14, on Daptone. Adriana Flores and Brian Ponce share lead vocals, creating a romantic depth often missing in today's soul. The album dives into moody ballads and tejano-flavoured duets, with hints of Bond theme psychedelia that give it a cinematic edge. Heartache in Room 14 promises to be more than just another soul record and is rather is a must-have for 2025.
Review: You have a genuine piece of musical history here. The Anchors may not be remembered by many, but made a significant impact on everyone who does. Black Soul is the third and - to all musicologist knowledge - last record put out by this pioneering South African funk-soul outfit. Straight out of the Johannesburg township of Alexandria at the height of Apartheid, they became known for exceptional musicianship and reinterpreting the classic Memphis, USA sound for their own oppressed community. Part three of that legacy takes things much, much further, though. So, we can definitely still hear those Mid South sounds that represent the very essence of soul, but here the aesthetic becomes something altogether different, Afro and specific to time and place. Homage paid to the genre founders, but drawing on personal circumstances to own things for themselves.
2023-05-12 Set II (2220 Arts & Archive, Los Angeles) (22:18)
2023-05-13 Set I (22:48)
2023-05-13 Set II (22:44)
2023-05-15 Set I (The Chapel, San Francisco) (23:10)
Review: The debut recording from The Ancients, an intergenerational trio featuring Isaiah Collier, William Hooker and William Parker initially formed to play Milford Graves' Mind Body Deal exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. This double LP captures the raw energy and improvisational brilliance of their live performances, showcasing the enduring legacy of free jazz. Collier's tenor saxophone soars and wails, drawing on influences from John Coltrane to Charles Gayle, while grounding his explorations in a deep understanding of structure and form. Hooker's drumming is a force of nature, a whirlwind of polyrhythms and explosive energy that pushes the music to its limits. And Parker, a true legend of the avant-garde, anchors the music with his virtuosic bass playing, creating a foundation for the trio's improvisational flights. The music is both a celebration of the rich history of free jazz and a bold exploration of new sonic territory. The Ancients tap into the spirit of their predecessors, channeling the energy of the Cecil Taylor Unit and the Ornette Coleman Trio, while forging their own unique path, the power of collective improvisation looming large throughout.
Review: Hailing from Atlanta, Andre 3000 continues to redefine the contours of musical experimentation with his latest sonic offerings. On 'Moving Day', a piece first showcased in last year's short film documenting his recent work, the OutKast veteran trades in his usual genre-defying flow for the smooth, ambient tones of a cosmic flute. The track unfolds like a slow-motion dream, where the melodies drift in and out of focus, capturing the disorienting yet soothing experience of moving through transitions. Then comes the reversed version, 'Day Moving', which inverts the gentle flow of the original, adding an unsettling, almost ghostly quality as the music warps and loops. The third track, 'Tunnels of Egypt', brings in an unexpectedly grounded yet still vast atmosphere, with its deep, resonant percussion and sparse instrumentation evoking a journey through both time and space. Andre's recent forays into the abstract have seen him abandon his commercial past in favour of an introspective exploration that challenges both him and his audience. Across these three tracks, he once again demonstrates his ability to balance complexity with restraint, creating something both otherworldly and deeply personal.
Review: The UK's Robin Lee is one of the members of much-loved disco gang Faze Action but also he's behind Andromeda Orchestra who return here with an album that offers a cosmic fusion of jazz-funk and disco. It's been put together with Moogs, clarinets, Rhodes and rich analogue textures that make for a mix of nostalgia and sonic richness that sinks you in deep. Blending nostalgia with innovation, Lee creates deep, immersive soundscapes. There are widescreen odysseys like 'Mythical', loved-up bunkers such as 'Thinking About Your Love' and a rare Nick The Record remix of 'Get Up & Dance' that overflows with cosmic melodies and lush, life-affirming strings.
Review: As it is often best done in soul, contemporary band Annie & The Caldwells are a family affair, channelling the depths of heartache and euphoria through danceable Mississippi-born bombasts. Lead vocalist Annie Caldwell leads the band alongside her husband of 50 years Willie Joe Caldwell, and is backed by children Deborah, Anjessica, Toni, Willie Jr. and Abel. Juggling hard work with harder musical playing, Can't Lose My Soul takes aim at modern day soul greatness, documenting quotidian struggles and everyday joys in song, and centring their concept on their locality of Main Street, West Point, Mississippi, where the family have run various businesses for decades. With a record this rooted in community, who better to rep the Southern soul set than the Caldwells?
Review: Cititrax proudly presents the debut LP from Another Body Found here, which is the latest moniker of A// who is well known for his pioneering work as Le Syndicat Electronique. Emerging from the French underground with a dark electro, industrial, minimal synth and wave style, he has a stark and visceral take on raw energy and haunting atmospheres. There are plenty of mechanical, hypnotic beats here with heft bass and hints of dystopian fears. The title track reimagines Bronski Beat's 'Smalltown Boy' and strips it to its emotional core, 'Lost In The Northern Lights' has a cold, urgent sound and 'Murderous Earth' is brilliantly unsettling and melancholic.
Review: Freestyle Records reissues The Apples Kings a full decade and a half after its first release. This version has been fully remastered and re-cut for an even more dynamic sound to remind why the landmark album was so special. It was a first for the band who crafted it with specific collaborators in mind and worked with funk legend Fred Wesley and Israeli world music icon Shlomo Bar In fusing elements of The JB's funky foundations, soul, dub, and Middle Eastern influences, they cooked up a genre-defying mix filtered through The Apples' unique decks-horns-bass-drums lineup. These unmistakable, floor-shaking grooves are just as potent today as they were in 2010.
Review: Apta dives deep, crafting a sonic odyssey that mirrors the ebb and flow of a psychedelic experience. Gone are the predictable structures of verse-chorus, replaced by a free-flowing exploration of texture and timbre. Modular synthesis intertwines with analogue warmth, guitars shimmer and distort and even vocals make a surprising appearance, adding an ethereal layer to the immersive soundscape. 'Shiver' and 'Awash' stand out with their post-rock leanings, showcasing Apta's ability to blend ambient textures with twirly melodies. But, the journey takes unexpected detours with moments of gritty percussion and analogue distortion mirroring the emotional turbulence of a psychedelic plunge. This is a sonic tapestry woven from diverse influences, touching on post-rock, pop ambient and kosmische, yet ultimately forging its own unique path. It's an album that demands your attention, revealing new details and hidden depths with each listen. Prepare to be surprised, intrigued and ultimately swept away by Apta's most ambitious and rewarding work to date.
Review: Pink Elephant is Arcade Fire's first album since 2022's We, and it serves as a compact and cathartic return that is defined by its sense of reflection and emotional recalibration. It has been co-produced by Daniel Lanois and leans into intimate textures and moving drums with standout tracks like 'Year of the Snake' and 'Ride or Die', evoking both earnest self-examination and communal uplift. Elsewhere, there is the hypnotic 'Circle of Trust' and haunting title track, which showcase the band's ability to mix grandeur with vulnerability and means that this is a work that again cements Arcade Fire's reputation as one of indie's finest.
Review: Born in Kent and central to the UK's 70s jazz modernism, Neil Ardley composed with the precision of a scientist and the vision of a cosmic philosopher. This long-overdue reissue from Analogue October captures a project that translates planetary orbits into a nine-note harmonic systemitoo vast for acoustic instruments, brought to life instead through early synthesisers. 'Arcturus' and 'Spiral Nebula' interlace fluid sax work from Barbara Thompson with John Martyn's signature reverb-drenched guitar, while Geoff Castle's synths evoke deep-space drift. 'Rainbow Four' channels modal funk, and 'Neptune' floats into ambient abstraction. Produced at Morgan Studios with a full ensemble of jazz heavyweightsiTony Coe, Ian Carr, Billy Kristian, Richard Burgess, and Trevor Tomkinsithis is a record that swings between science fiction and symphonic elegance. For all its high concept, it remains rooted in groove and human touch. A meticulous AAA cut from the Decca master tapes seals the experience: a bold and beautiful reminder of how far British jazz once dared to travel.
Review: Jazz maestro and Ezra Collective founding member Joe Armon-Jones presents his most ambitious solo project to date, released on his own fledgling imprint Aquarii Records. After a six-year gap since his last solo album, Turn To Clear View, Armon-Jones has spent his time touring, building a studio, and collaborating with icons of UK jazz, including Liam Bailey, Fatima, Prince Fatty, and Mala over a string of politically-charged EPs. Now All The Quiet promises an august jazz opera in two parts, and so coming complete with an interval, crossing twixt jazz, funk, dub, hip hop, and soul, the album is entirely written, produced, and mixed by Armon-Jones himself, and manifests as the first of a two-part album, featuring guests Nubya Garcia, Oscar Jerome, and Goya Gumbani.
Review: Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers come together for this most personal gospel funk album which was inspired by the birth of Frique's daughter, Jesamy. It finds the Amsterdam-based multi-instrumentalist mixing up organic funk with obscure synths, bubbly basslines that are always on the move with swirling guitars that add the colour and all make for an unusual and interesting mix of P-funk and gospel-disco. There are plenty of universal messages throughout which all emphasise the need for unconditional love while legendary vocalists like Dennis Bovell, Muriel Blijd, Mariseya, Brandon Delagraentiss and Rocq-E Harrell contribute to the powerful sound. Delagraentiss's choir, The Gospel Experience, also do their bit by adding big, rich, heartfelt vocals. It's quite the listen.
Review: Stockholm-based multi-instrumentalist and composer Art Longo impresses here with Echowah Island, a new album sure to wind its way into your affections. It was crafted over years in his home studio and is "psychotropical pop" drawing deep inspiration from late 80s music and dub. The album's lush soundscape evokes orange sunsets and ocean breezes and is layered with spring reverb, space echo and wah-wah effects that smooth out the edges as the steady pulse of vintage drum machines moves things on down low. A standout feature is Claudio Jonas, whose ethereal vocals recall classic French femme fatale singers of the 60s. Her poetic, kaleidoscopic lyrics add to a nostalgic dream world that gently bends reality and makes his both escapist and thought-provoking.
Review: Campania-based combo Asakaira has delivered a genuinely brilliant debut album here. Rooted in improvisation and the collective's combined love of jazz, Afrobeat, jazz-funk, hip-hop and the Afro-cosmic sounds that have long been a staple of Italy's underground music culture, the album's six original tracks (the seventh is an alternate 'Night' take on the jaunty, energetic and percussive 'Skijii') bristle with imagination and inventiveness. For proof, check the tropical disco delights of 'Night Tales', the head-nodding hip-hop-jazz of 'Chatting With You' and the dubby jazz-not-jazz shuffle of 'Moon Phases', a track that just intensifies and gets bigger as it progresses.
Review: The third studio album by the Nigerian artist Asake comes to vinyl through Empire, homing back in for a second time on the artist's pioneering flurry of several modish, "now" genre fusions for 2024. Asake has already garnered a name for himself as a neo-fuji artist, building on the classic Nigerian Yoruba dance genre in electronica fusion form, as well as incorporating elements of amapiano and funk. Lungu Boy was met with critical acclaim on its digital release, and now you can hear it in its fullest physical quality on marbled vinyl; the record's best moments have to be 'Worldwide' and 'Suru' featuring none other than British rap whiz Stormzy.
Review: Part of the wider Megami Tensei video game franchise, Persona 4 is a 2008 role playing title that hit Japan, and made a huge impact, in 2008. Set in a fictional version of the Land of the Rising Sun's countryside, players adopt the character of a high school student who moves to the small town of Inaba from the city to experience rural living for 12 months. Mysterious murders ensue, and it's up to you - or whoever's got the PS2 controller - to work out what's happening. It's typically deep dive stuff for a country that has always had a very unique relationship with video games. Atlus, the developer, already had a reputation for making beloved scores for its titles, and this one is no exception, although broke the mould compared with preceding instalments in the saga. Way more upbeat, it's a mixture of bubblegum dance pop, chip music, high intensity synth rock, urban-hued J-pop, and 'toon jazz.
Review: Sensory Blending hears Finnish artist Jimi Tenor and Italian group Aura Safari team up for an impromptu studio shebang in Perugia, Italy, after Tenor's storied but clandestine performance at a Hell Yeah party. Despite no prior connection, the musicians quickly found common ground, forging a vivant fusion of jazz-funk, tropicalia and soul. Tenor's psychedelic style gelled Aura Safari's faster, intuited approach, resulting in such tracks as 'Bodily Synesthesia,' 'Bewitched By The Sea' and 'Lunar Wind', each of which connect seductive grooves and ghost noted keys. Possibly performed live at select events later in the year, the record is a perfect storm of recorded "live feel" Balearica.
Last Summer In Rio (feat Jean Paul 'Bluey' Maunick) (8:36)
Review: It has been a full half a century since legendary Brazilian outfit Azymuth made their debut and their new album, Marca Passo, reaffirms their place as legends of jazz-funk. It was recorded in Rio and produced by Daniel Maunick and is the group's first album since drummer Ivan "Mamao" Conti's passing, with bassist Alex Malheiros now the sole founding member. He's joined by Kiko Continentino and new drummer Renato Massa to continue Azymuth's tradition of blending samba soul, funk and cosmic jazz. Highlights include a tribute to Conti, 'Samba Pro Mamao,' and a refreshed take on 'Last Summer In Rio.' The album is a vital, heartfelt continuation of Azymuth's enduring legacy.
Review: Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the enigmatic steel pan group from Hamburg, made waves in 2024 when their cover of 50 Cent's 'PIMP' was featured in the Oscar-winner film Anatomy Of A Fall. The track played a key role in the movie's success and led to the first-ever steel pans in the orchestra pit at the Academy Awards, further boosting the band's saliency. And yet despite global recognition, 'PIMP' is just a glimpse of their catalogue, which is already rather extensive. Since signing with Big Crown in 2014, Bacao've released four albums and numerous singles, and Big Crown Vaults Vol. 4 flaunts many of these dishings-out, with covers of Bob James' 'Nautilus', Khruangbin's 'Maria Tambien', and the uptempo original 'Kaiso Noir'. It serves as a tantalizing bud-whetter, too, before their oncoming fifth studio album.
Hohnen Ford - "I Get Along Without You Very Well" (2:56)
Matilda Mann - "There Will Never Be Another You" (3:10)
Dodie - "Old Devil Moon" (2:56)
Puma Blue - "It's Always You" (3:13)
Poppy Daniels - "I've Never Been In Love Before" (4:33)
Ife Ogunjobi - "Speak Low" (4:20)
Benny Sings - "Time After Time" (2:45)
Stacy Ryan - "Like Someone In Love" (4:27)
Matt Maltese - "My Funny Valentine" (2:59)
Mxmtoon - "I Fall In Love Too Easily" (3:15)
Grentperez - "But Not For Me" (2:10)
Delaney Bailey - "While My Lady Sleeps" (4:33)
Review: This staunch collection of songs compiled by Decca hears the very best works of jazz trumpeter Chet Baker "reimagined" by a varied selection of international talent, celebrating the legacy of one of American jazz's coolest ever piston-valvers. It's no surprise that Baker earned himself the name "Prince of Cool" as the concept of cool overtook the jazz world in the 50s and 60s; likewise, the artists chosen to reimagine Baker's many sweet treats here each epitomise that same offhand effortlessness which typified Baker's playstyle. Highlights include Dodie, who leads with a Latin percussive rekeying of 'Old Devil Moon', and mxmtoon, who brings equable guitar lurches to Baker's rather lost-his-cool confession of loving excitement, 'I Fell In Love Too Easily'.
Review: Now working under the alias Balaphonic, long serving Manchester artist Danny Ward steers his ear for percussion into something warm, rhythmically rich and hypnotic. He opens with 'Sunflowers in Dub (Deep Summer Mix)', where sitar, harmonica and fluttering keys glide across a humid dubscape, then folds in sun-dappled samba on 'Disorganics (All Strings Mix)', all brushed guitars and delicate groove. 'Six Fingers' leans deeper into Afro-Cuban melancholy, while 'Udders' chops South American drums into psychedelic loops, teasing out low-end heft. A standout collaboration with Ocean Waves Brasil, 'Oxum' blends gentle acid with dreamy textures and Afro-Brazilian swing, before closer 'Bloco Manco' lets off the brakes-delay-lashed, bass-heavy and totally locked-in. It's music built for dancefloors, but with the patience and touch of a drummer who knows when to let things breathe.
Blacker (The Marden Hill Sweet Green Jam mix) (4:39)
Jam Jah (5:16)
Divine Fact (Blacker 2)
(5:01)
Goodvibes Goodnight (3:28)
Anti-Gun Movement (3:08)
Review: The Ballistic Brothers were behind a great many infusion of breakbeat, jazz and Afro house during the 1990s, smashing onto the scene with the Junior Boy's Own twinkler of an EP, 'I'll Fly Away' (the lead track on which works just as easily at drum & bass speeds as it does at tapper-out tempos) as well as the complementary debut album, London Hooligan Soul. The Eccentric Afros were an early, assistive alias, used by an intermixing but not exhaustive list of some of the same producers involved in TBB before they assumed the latter name proper: Ashley Beedle, Rocky & Diesel (X-Press 2), Uschi Classen and Dave Hill. This second edition of "lost tape" reissues rediscovers some of the trio's best and most esoteric breaks-plates, which would've been heard on heavy rotation in the amalgamate days of the 90s London clubbing scene, yet not all of which have been put out properly until now.
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