Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Kiasmos is the duo of Icelandic composer olafur Arnalds and Faroese musician Janus Rasmussen. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of their iconic debut album, it now gets reissued on a limited blue vinyl pressing of only 2000 copies. This album has been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify and is a cornerstone of experimental and ambient music that has inspired many artists around the world. Following the success of their recent album II, this anniversary release reminds us of the pair's beginnings when two friends were simply experimenting and creating music together in the studio. It has aged well and prices a great release from busy modern life into a world of supple rhythm and delicate, tender melody.

Review: The already proven talent that is Kid Simius is back with more brilliance, this time in the form of his third full-length album, JOSE, which comes via the gold standard Bristolian label Shall Not Fade. This 10-track collection showcases high-quality dance music in many different forms, always with smart ideas and skillfully executed production that elevates it above the norm. Everything is included here as it dives deep into the realms of jazz, house, and disco. Already known for his innovative approach, Kid Simius solidifies his reputation here as one of the most forward-thinking producers in the game right now.

Review: Sheffielder Matthew Relton - initially known as Kidnap Kid, but now releasing as Kidnap - has been on quite a musical journey since first emerging as a boisterous garage and UK bass producer early last decade. His first full-length, 2020's Grow, showcased his maturation as an artist by focusing on songs and instrumentals that tended towards the tactile and picturesque. On this follow-up, he's leaned further into the "artist maturing" theme via a blend of picturesque songs (voiced by regular collaborator Ian Stannard, Gabrielle Apin and others') and ambient instrumentals shot through with yearning, oblique nostalgia, delicate instrumental arrangements and plenty of sweeping, cinematic chord sequences. It's not pop, per se, but it is hugely accessible with tons of crossover potential. Expect to see him on festival stages in the months and years ahead.

Review: King Pari is an LA-via-Minneapolis duo who creatively blend influences from Prince and psychedelic dub into a new sound they have described as "bedroom funk." Their infectious lo-fi tracks are rich in emotion and brimming with funky grooves so make for a catchy listen. This group actually picked up props from Prince himself before the late Purple genius passed in 2016 and since then jazz innovator Kamasi Washington has also annoyed himself as a fan. This full length is only sure to win the pair ever more accolades for this new take on classic funk.

Review: It's been a long time coming, but finally Defected's producer and remixer-focused House Masters series has turned its attention to the undisputed Godfather of House himself, the late, great Frankie Knuckles. This first part (of two) fittingly opens with the track that originally set out his melodious, warm, colourful and loved-up trademark sound, the Jamie Principle collaboration 'Your Love', before flitting between genuine anthems (legendary remixes of Loose Ends' 'Hangin' On a String' and 'Blind' by Hercules and Love Affair, the sleazy, acid house-era 'Baby Wants To Ride', the exceptional 'Hallucinogenic Mix' of Chaka Khan's 'Ain't Nobody') and arguably more overlooked gems (the garage-house wonders that are his remixes of Adeva and Sounds of Blackness).

Review: Defected's House Masters series tribute to Frankie Knuckles is being released as two double LPs, but it could have easily been four or five, such is the quality of the tracks and remixes that the 'Godfather of House' produced during his lifetime. Naturally this second and final part is full to bursting with colourful, tactile and wonderfully saucer-eyed classics - many familiar, some slightly less so - which deserve a place in your collection. Picking highlights is naturally tough, but for proof of Knuckles' unassailable musical majesty and dancefloor magic it's hard to beat the Sound Factory mix of 'The Whistle Song', the low-tempo house bliss of his remix of Inner City's 'Whatcha Do With My Lovin', the Satoshi Tomiie/Robert Owens hook-up 'Tears' and his incredible revision of Electribe 101's 'Talking With Myself'.

Review: Izumi Kobayashi's Coconuts High is a vibrant testament to her evolution as an artist. Reissued on vinyl, this album showcases Izumi's mastery in blending funk, Latin, and tropical influences into a cohesive and electrifying album. This piece features heavy hitters like Pecker, Freddie Washington, and the legendary Tower of Power horns, along with contributions from The Waters and guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka. Tracks like 'Palm St.' and 'Small Dynamite' pulsate with energy, while 'Lazy Love,' a reggae-infused reinterpretation of 'Crazy Love,' highlights her innovative spirit. Recorded in Los Angeles with a top-notch roster of musicians, Coconuts High encapsulates the essence of summer with its infectious grooves and tropical vibes. Each of the eight tracks is meticulously crafted, reflecting Izumi's growth as both a singer and composer. This reissue invites a new generation of listeners to fall in love with the sun-soaked rhythms and catchy melodies that make Coconuts High a timeless gem in Japanese funk and soul music.

Review: Japanese keyboard player, singer-songwriter, music producer Mimi Izumi Kobayashi was born in Funabashi and went on to become a cult artist who released six albums, all of them in the eighties. Tropicana came in 1983 and is maybe the best known of lot and it now gets reissued on limited vinyl via Universal. It's a bright and vibrant blend of city pop, soul, disco and tropical sounds with nostalgic 80s drum sounds, hook vocals in English and Japanese and plenty of camp and catchy grooves. A real exotic wonder.

Review: Choice Cuts 1978-1983 gathers eight tracks from four of Mimi's early albums-Sea Flight (1978), Coconuts High (1981), Nuts Nuts Nuts (1982), and Tropicana (1983). Opening with a funky, syncopated take on Sergio Mendes' 'Mas Que Nada' and the crisp techno-pop of 'Coffee Rumba,' all of which mean the compilation showcases Mimi's eclectic style. It also features the synth jam 'Quiet Explosion' and the piano samba 'Espresso.' Two standout tracks from Coconuts High-the sultry 'Crazy Love' and the lively 'Palm Sr'-highlight her playful Latin-tinged jazz fusion. Released on Takanaka's Kitty Records, this collection reveals Mimi's vibrant and innovative artistry.

Review: B. Bravo and Rojai return as Kool Customer with their sophomore album At Your Service, a ten-track offering of modern funk designed for sun-soaked poolside parties. Following their 2018 debut, the duo pushes their funk sound further, evoking the laid-back vibes of LA's rooftop hotel gatherings while blending boogie, g-funk, and club influences. From the opener 'Endless Summer' to the mellow space grooves of 'One Day At A Time', the album maintains an effortlessly cool, future funk energy. Tracks like 'Fly Away' and 'Learned My Lesson' will undoubtedly find their way into DJ sets from LA's MoFunk to San Francisco's Sweater Funk. With roots in NorCal and SoCal, the pair infuses their music with a cross-regional modern funk spectrum. B. Bravo's use of vintage synths like the Minimoog Voyager and Yamaha DX-100 anchors the project in boogie tradition, while songs like 'DX Heaven' and 'West Coast Livin'' showcase inventive twists on g-funk. Kool Customer's At Your Service is the epitome of smooth, effortless funk.

Review: Daisuke Kuroda has ben DJing since 1990 when the rare groove movement in his native Japan was in full flow. He slowly evolved into the funk world and is now regarded as one of deep funks finest ever DJs over in the Far East. He started Japan's leading deep funk club event series SEARCHING and runs his own Wah Wah party each month, amongst several other things. He heads up a 45 reissue label founded at the beginning of 2015 so is the perfect man to be asked to curate From Kingston To Miami: King Sporty Works 1971-1983, a collection of deep cut funk sounds that span the world from the 70s to the 80s.

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: 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: After a 10-year hiatus, Balearic Mike and Kelvin Andrews return to continue the journey of the Balearic Beat with another edition of their distinguished Down To The Sea And Back compilation series, presenting a formidable new set of rare and obscure records. Once more sifting from the formidable crock of late 80s to intra-90s Balearic music, this eight-track LP begins on a serene note with the expertly layered guitars from Dagobert Bohm on their re-arrangement of Josete Ordonez, before moving into increasingly complex but still no less sunny waters from the likes of Vidderna, Lee Ryda, and Pressure Drop. A veritable three years' worth of digging, finally condensed into a single selection.

Review: The remix has long been a staple of underground dance music culture and for its next release German label The Other Side has pulled together a whole album's worth of them. They find various key talents all their own minimal spin to tracks by Pheek and Kike Mayor. Up first is Audio Werner with the first of two remixes of 'Caveat' that is all silky tones and waves of rippling synth. Elsewhere 'Red Square' (Flabbergast remix) is a curling and rubbery rhythm with dry hits, 'Mad River' (Lowris remix) is a curious and lumpy roller with tripped-out spoken words and 'Matcha Breaks' (Mihigh remix) is a late night wonder.