Back catalogue: Breakbeat

Review: Deep Forest's third studio album, Comparsa, released in December 1997, presents a vibrant blend of world music and electronic elements, with a strong emphasis on Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Now available on translucent green vinyl, this album showcases the group's signature fusion of global sounds, featuring contributions from musicians across Cuba, Belize, Mexico, and Madagascar. Comparsa's 13 tracks are a journey through diverse musical landscapes, with highlights like 'Noonday Sun' and 'Tres Marias' highlight the album's dynamic energy. The group's founders, Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez, craft lush soundscapes that are rich in texture, combining whispered vocals with rhythmic beats and vibrant instrumentation. Tracks like 'Madazulu' and 'Radio Belize' illustrate the duo's skill in blending traditional sounds with modern electronic production, creating a sound that is both innovative and accessible. Comparsa remains a well-produced and exhilarating listening experience, perfect for those seeking a musical escape to far-off lands. Now on translucent green vinyl, the album's rich textures and global rhythms are given new life, making it a noteworthy addition to any collection.

Review: Stereophonk hit gold with volume one of this series so no wonder it now presents the eagerly awaited Bunch Of Funk Vol. 2. This one features 18 unreleased tracks making their vinyl debut, including two exclusive cuts created in collaboration with the talented Medline. Iconic breakdance figure DJ Marrrtin is known for his hard-hitting breaks played at major events and always makes sure he serves up music that invites listeners to express themselves on the dance floor. Here he infuses a powerful, organic sound that honours breakdance heritage while innovating for future generations.

Review: Given that he cut his teeth as a DJ and producer in San Francisco during the early 90s, DJ Spun is in a perfect position to educate us on the city's breakbeat-driven 'rave' sound - a hybrid and hyper-local affair that blended the Bay Area's psychedelic sounds and loved-up ethos with elements of acid, hip-hop, hip-house, deep house and British breakbeat hardcore. The Beat By DJ Spun Volume 1 does a great job of highlighting largely lesser-known, breakbeat-powered cuts produced in the city between 1988 and '94. For proof, check out the dreamy, mid-tempo wonder of Single Cell Orchestra's 'Transmit Liberation', the funk-fuelled hedonism of Triple M's 'Prisoner of Passion (Funky Dub Mix)', the deep and dubby breaks of 'Based (Not So Free Mix)' by DJ Emma, and the sparse-and-squelchy post hip-house shuffle of Spins Inc's 'The New Frontier'.

Review: New York maestro and Loose Control Band member DJ Spun has served up a superb compilation for Above Board here. It is his third such collection and one that focusses on the specific subject of West Coast breaks, rave and electro funk from the late eighties to mid-cities. It was a fertile scene by this account and one that still sounds current today, right from the blistering open eats and trance-like synths of Tasti Box's 'San Francisco' to Deep2's old school house jacker 'Sphere' which closes out the double pack. In between are plenty of gems, not least the deep and dreamy sounds of Hawke's '3 Moods In A Purple Garden' (Robbie Hardkiss mix).

Review: Dark Entries welcome back the inimitable Doc Sleep aka Melissa Maristuen for a superb new album of ghostly and ethereal house and techno. This is a welcome follow-up to last year's ambient and IDM exploration, Birds, and shows another side that draws on Maristuen's years of queer clubbing. It fuses aspects of New York house, Berlin techno and West-coast breakbeats and is "a love letter to the West Coast's magnificent natural landscape, the light of the Pacific sunrise." That is reflected in the sublime synths and silky rhythms which manage to both move your body but also captivate your mind. It's another cracking album from the Doc.