Back catalogue: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul

Review: Jazz Station presents Fabio Fonseca Trio's 'Opus Samba', great broken beat as played by Gilles Peterson.

Review: The second full length album from Family Vision Care, entitled
'Careful'. Within the New York vs. Cologne duo singer Gary
Harrison's afro American roots and his love and passion for the
music of Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and Curtis Mayfield melt
with Thomas Berghaus' European influences from Jazz and Pop
ranging from Style Council to 90's inspired Grooves. Family Vision
Care search for the essence of northern-soul, funk and jazz.
The soul of the 60s/70s/80s and 90s merge all together for simply
timeless soul music that goes far beyond issues like being just
retro, past or present.

Review: Fax returns with a second brilliantly produced full length. This time, Fax's post-wallpaper techno is augmented with various sound process patterns and background noise interludes. Syncopated clicks scatter all around, warm dreamy melodies abound while dark moisture slips through the cracks. The rhythms are minimal and comfy, the bass heavy and round, the pulses are blunted and dubby while the landscape is expansive and full of sun. Perfect for relaxed home listening, extended dance club sessions and audio excursions at the beach or the park. This is microhouse for the common man. "Vanguard Techno" say the most important music magazines in Mexico. Fax is quickly establishing himself in the international dance music scene, first with an EP on Germany’s Traum label, then the CD "Resonancia" on Static Discos, and recently his first US release, a 3" mini CD on Rocket Racer. Fax’s minimalist techno is powerful, ethereal, microscopic, danceable and lets you climb to the heavens. Graphic designer and guitarist Ruben Alonso Tamayo’s Fax project sees him slide into similar territory with equal poise and a neat line in syncopation. Resonancia is calm, twitchy and expansive, with primitive beats on some tracks taking centre stage. "Glitchy melodies abound, making this an odd combination of post-wallpaper techno a la Stewart Walker and more attention getting microhouse a la MRI" (The Wire). "Tamayo transmits gorgeous minimal techno as Fax from his Mexicali homebase, taking Pole to the cleaners as far as melody goes." (Grooves)

Review: Electro soul, club sounds & songwriting. Ten new super tasty pop songs by Italian producer Domenico Ferrari. Vocals and soul elements from early Detroit productions, live drums, guitars and keyboards are key features on this album.

Review: Following their highly acclaimed "Perception" album, Fertile Ground are back with another classic that will heal your woes, uplift your spirit and have you grooving to their deeply funky hybrid of jazz-fuelled soul. Led by the magisterial voice of astral soul goddess, Navasha Daya, and overseen by bandleader/composer/keyboardist, James Collins, Fertile Ground have produced a potent album that captures the dynamism and excitement of their much-lauded live shows.

Review: Fertile Ground's sound encompasses the finest ingredients in today's music. Taking influences from hip-hop and r&b to seventies spiritual jazz, combined with Afro/Latin rhythms, they created an original and funky hybrid unlike any other musical act on the scene today. When you hear the combination of influences it sounds so natural that it's hard to understand why this hasn't been done before.

Review: When Baltimore's finest soul/jazz ensemble, Fertile Ground, signed to Counterpoint Records back in the winter of 2001 and released their classic "Perception" album, the response from DJ's, critics, and music heads alike was a resounding "yeah". The follow up album, "Seasons Change", was an even greater achievement, winning plaudits from a growing tribe of dedicated fans all over the world. The band's dynamic live fusion of soul, jazz and Afro-Caribbean sounds, centred around Navasha Daya's beautiful voice, and the melodic originality of composer/keyboardist, James Collins, has also attracted the attention of some of the more cutting-edge remixers from the underground club scene. Some of the tracks on this CD were released as limited edition 12" singles, alongside some exclusive tracks previously unreleased. Now for the first time, all these remixes are available on one album. "Remixed" is a collection of exquisite songs, stunningly remixed by Ayro, Ebb, Gucciman, Jazztronik, Oneness Of Two, Seiji and Fertile Ground.

Review: "Black Is.." is the title of the latest Fertile Ground album, their 4th album for Counterpoint Records. Once again Fertile Ground have produced a record that is totally essential. Their unique gift for dynamic grooves, their lyrical wisdom and musical know-how is written all over "Black Is...", and is further proof to why they are one of the best bands going.

Review: Six of Europe's finest musicians and bandleaders combined in a unique band, united by their love for Brazilian music. "European Brazil Project" is a record full of rhythm, beauty and wonderful. original, compositions and surprises. Rodenstein presents this Hans Fickelscher release.

Review: A classic album from our friends in Finland. In a lovely gatefold vinyl, including all their best tunes that are now deleted in 12" format. Featuring the legendary Mark Murphy.

Review: Last year, rising star Vincent Fenton - best known by his artistic aliases FKJ and French Kiwi Juice - delivered a sparse, stripped-back sophomore album that saw him deliver atmospheric, piano jazz versions of his compositions. Here he returns to the sound we've come to accept, delivering a wonderfully warming, accessible and emotive set of songs and instrumentals that variously join the dots between dusty instrumental hip-hop, smooth neo-soul, laidback jazz and future R&B. There's plenty to inspire and entertain across the set, with our highlights including 'Greener', which features contributions from Santana, luscious opener 'Way Out', and the spacey, synth-laden, slow-motion loveliness of Toro Y Moi hook-up 'A Moment of Mystery'.

Review: Having been a star on Brighton-based label Tru Thoughts for over seven years now, Flevans has built up a global fanbase through his three studio albums. The last of these, 27 Devils, saw him ditch his trusty sample collection and go 100% live and now as an accompaniment, he's dropped The 28th Devil which collects remixes and reworkings of that set and more. It's a seriously funky affair, with loads of it aimed straight at the dancefloor.

The new mix of 27 Devils sets the tone nicely, balancing pacey live drums and brass perfectly. All To Play For is a rare moment of downtempo intensity on the album, but Flevans uses Shona Foster's vocal to maximum effect by building it up from a whisper quiet start. Bamboos' vocalist Kylie Auldist also appears on the album and gives some serious soul power on One Goodbye, which gets a tight reworking by Flevans.

The funk flows further on his mix of Ez A Divat's These People, which captures some vintage New Orleans-style drumming, and on Second Bite which has a Ska flavour complete with some backbeat-riding brass hits. Hold On takes the bpm's down a bit to a cool mid-tempo swing, and has a classic feel that makes you wish all pop music sounded this perfect.

Flevan's own material gets the once over from some notable names like Regal, who adds a cheeky sample from Les McCann's Harlem Buck Dance Strut onto the brilliant Lay Back, and from Azaxx who tastefully chops up Hold No Water and adds some bottom-end for good measure. Probably the most drastic overhaul though comes from Budapest duo Vono Box, who marry the vocal from Hold On with a slinky 50's big band sample straight from the Henry Mancini school of Exotica. A weird but wonderful mix that definitely needs to be heard!

This is another essential Tru Thoughts release, and just what you'd expect from such a distinctive label and artist.

Review: Since releasing his first Floating Points record back in 2009, Sam Shepherd has constantly surprised. Predictably, he's done it again with Reflections: Mojave Desert, an album created from impromptu recordings of his live band made during a visit to Joshua Tree National Park. Inspired by their surroundings and the natural environment, Shepherd's ensemble have created a five-track set - and accompanying Super 8 film, shot and edited by the band's traveling visual artist - that's as atmospheric as anything the producer has released to date. While a unique proposition with its own distinctive vibe, the tracks variously touch on ambient, new age, spiritual jazz, woozy electronica, post-rock and the kind of Stockhausen-inspired experimentalism explored on Ragnar Grippe's recently reissued "Sand".

Review: Over the years, Sam Shepheard's work as Floating Points has become increasingly ambitious, moving further away from his dancefloor roots and closer to spiritual jazz, new age and neo-classical. Even so, it was still a surprise when Shepheard announced Promises, a 46-minute piece in 10 "movements" featuring the London Symphony Orchestra and legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. It's an undeniably remarkable piece all told; a constantly evolving fusion of neo-classical ambience, spiritual jazz and starry, synthesizer-laden soundscapes notable not only for Sanders' sublime sax-playing and Shepheard's memorable melodic themes, but also the intricate, detailed nature of the musical arrangements. It's a stunningly beautiful and life-affirming piece all told, and one that deserves your full attention.

Review: "Flow Dynamics" is the self-titled debut album from Australia's answer to Dr. Funkenstein; chopping and splicing together samples, breaks and live instruments into a monstrous mash-up of sounds that will have dancefloors shaking and DJs screaming "Its alive!".

Review: Classic album from the Flowriders, featuring their very best nu-dance electro tracks.

Review: After the "next level jazz shit" of Cosmogramma, you'd forgive Flying Lotus for a taking a time out and maybe hit some clubs in LA to find his next Brainfeeder signee. Instead he's spent the past few months scouring the inner workings of his clearly impressive musical brain to deliver Pattern & Grid World, seven tracks of expansive machine funk futurism. Commencing with the hazy mist of psychedelic soul synths flourishes and intricate beat patterns that is "Clay" Ellison demonstrates an ever increasing array of beat poetry. "Kill Your Co-Workers" marries tinny drum and bass programming with an ever expanding opulence of joyous melodies whilst "Pie Face" drops outer galactic grime syncopation over kaleidoscopic bass patterns. "Time Vampires" could soundtrack the astro travelling Lord Quas referred to on the classic Madlib album The Unseen whilst "Jurassic Notion/M Theory" splays wonked out afro percussion over belly level schizoid bass lines. The final rhythmic jolt of "Physics For Everyone" replete with head first plunges into industrial bass makes this a bewitching complement to Ellison's highly lauded album.

Review: Los Angeles resident Flying Lotus brings beats with a cinematic flare: "I see these tracks as little short films that play in my head." Flying Lotus is a free spirit: "I have this beautiful lemon tree in my backyard, and on a sunny day the light shines through. Little things like that inspire me." Flying Lotus is a Coltrane: "My greatest influences are my family, I'm lucky to have been around so many accomplished musicians." And most importantly, Flying Lotus is a visionary; get ready to meet your favourite new producer. From note one, there is a feeling of something new and exciting at play here. Keyboards wobble and wiggle with mutated funk, skewed rhythms grind underneath, warped samples play hide-and-seek with the beat - in other words, that "next level shit" artists are always talking about? This is it. While the title "1983" may conjure images of parachute pants and asymmetrical 'dos, the '83 Lotus envisions isn't the typical retro cheese covered by VH1 specials. This is Blade Runner, Bambaataa, the Bomb Squad, and Basquiat. This is the musical future Prince was dreaming' about - forgive us if we go astray. Just listen to "Orbit Brazil": synths float into space with melodic optimism, grimed out in a dystopian sheen. By track's end, you really feel like you're at zero gravity, peering through your space mask at the sweaty Brazilian booties bumping' (it's cause they're listening to Lotus). And yeah, Lotus is a part of the Coltrane lineage, but don't write this off as nepotism, cause he ain't riding on anyone's coattails. But, if you really must make the correlation between "A Love Supreme" and "A Lotus Supreme", dig: If Alice and John had lived in the era of SP-303s and laptops, they'd be flirting with the same muse as Lotus is. Flying Lotus is a visionary. He is tapping that well of creative juice that seems to float in the ether for certain artists every generation, carving his own path through the wilds of the beat. By the time you read this, Lotus will already be making the music everyone and their robot will be biting through 2030. Like most natural talents, though, Lotus' aspirations are simple: "I just want to keep having fun."

Review: The second volume in the series of findings from the legendary Wewerka archive. For this compilation, the Jazzanova collective and Stephan Steigleder descended even deeper into Wewerka's Munich vaults. As a result, the variety of the music is much wider than that on Volume One. This volume bears further testimony to the fact that only a percentage of the history of Jazz is known, that much of it still slumbers in archives and that there are a lot of secrets still to uncover-thanks to people like Hans Wewerka. Wewerka claims to have supervised more than 20,000 recording sessions. The focus has been switched to two main themes: soundtrack music (hence many of the short tunes) and Wewerka's forays behind the iron curtain. 'Blues 10', composed by Milcho Leview and played by the Bulgarian Jazz Quartet already had been released on the LP Jazz Focus '65, produced by Lippmann & Rau, legendary German concert promoters. Pavel Blatny even appeared on the critic's poll of the American jazz magazine Down Beat in 1966 and 1967. Erich Ferstl is known through his compositions for films during the 1960s and 1970s. He scored the music for, amongst others, the Peter Fleischmann movie 'Die Hamburger Krankheit' ('The Hamburg Disease') and the cartoon classic 'Die Konferenz der Tiere' (The Animals' Conference). Hans Posegga has composed soundtracks for several films by (in)famous German filmmaker Peter Schamoni. His music is known to 95% of all Germans due to the composition of the title theme of Germany's most popular TV-series for children 'Die Sendung mit der Maus'.

Review: '70no New Sounds' by Fontaine Singers is part of the series featuring Jazz/Rock songs
produced by the Columbia label. All included songs are selected by Yasuharu Konishi.

Review: "Reminted" is the second CD release from Fort Knox Recordings, featuring a selection of Fort Knox Fives remixes, compiled and mixed in their signature, party-rocking DJ style. Sid Barcelona, Jon Horvath, Rob Myers and Steve Raskin are the mastermind producers behind the Fort Knox Five. They have coined the term 'Reminted' to represent their unique remixing style. The Fort Knox Five are known for creating songs that go beyond the average remix by extensively incorporating their own live instrumentation and highly sought after production skills.

Review: It's been almost five years since Four Tet's last LP. However, you could never accuse Kieran Hebden of being lazy, having spent the years since 2005's Everything Ecstatic working on a number of EPs, collaborations and mixes, not to mention enough remixes to keep any student going throughout their perpetual revision period.

His fifth studio album to date forms a combination of minimal dance and amalgamations of sounds and ideas from his career so far. It serves a timely reminder of the joy of genre mashing in what is one of the first important releases of the new decade.

After the delicate and disjointed vocal-led opener 'Angel Echoes' we move into what will be Four Tet's next single, the hypnotic nine minute colossal, 'Love Cry.' Jazz percussion is layered over a sprawling house sentiment that builds exponentially throughout the saga. The aptly named 'Circling' uses hazy synthesizers to progresses from a soft, folk-like beginning to flamboyant end before we are treated to the fantastically warped female vocal that gives the defining factor on 'Sing.' Following 'Plastic People's' clap-infused melodic wandering, we reach 'She Just Likes To Fight' which seems to capture the emotional undertones that lay covered throughout the whole LP in a heart-warming sense of utter contentment.

It seems the long wait for an LP was more than worth it as Four Tet delivers guides through a labyrinth of musical tastes and genres whilst never losing his way in experimentation or self indulgence. Pushing limits, but in an ear-pleasing way, 'There Is Love In You' is yet another reason to jump aboard Four Tet.

Review: It's been almost five years since Four Tet's last LP. However, you could never accuse Kieran Hebden of being lazy, having spent the years since 2005's Everything Ecstatic working on a number of EPs, collaborations and mixes, not to mention enough remixes to keep any student going throughout their perpetual revision period.

His fifth studio album to date forms a combination of minimal dance and amalgamations of sounds and ideas from his career so far. It serves a timely reminder of the joy of genre mashing in what is one of the first important releases of the new decade.

After the delicate and disjointed vocal-led opener 'Angel Echoes' we move into what will be Four Tet's next single, the hypnotic nine minute colossal, 'Love Cry.' Jazz percussion is layered over a sprawling house sentiment that builds exponentially throughout the saga. The aptly named 'Circling' uses hazy synthesizers to progresses from a soft, folk-like beginning to flamboyant end before we are treated to the fantastically warped female vocal that gives the defining factor on 'Sing.' Following 'Plastic People's' clap-infused melodic wandering, we reach 'She Just Likes To Fight' which seems to capture the emotional undertones that lay covered throughout the whole LP in a heart-warming sense of utter contentment.

It seems the long wait for an LP was more than worth it as Four Tet delivers guides through a labyrinth of musical tastes and genres whilst never losing his way in experimentation or self indulgence. Pushing limits, but in an ear-pleasing way, 'There Is Love In You' is yet another reason to jump aboard Four Tet.

Review: A genre-hopping, mind-bending mix from the king of eclecticism, Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet), that ushers in a new age of experimentation for the seminal DJ Kicks series. Known primarily for his home made excursions to the far reaches of the musical map, Kieran Hebden is a DJ on a different kind of trip, the gratifying results of which can be seen all over this exemplary DJ Kicks compilation (the 26th in this now legendary series). Inspired by his 8 hour sets at The End and in Ibiza with Timo Maas, Kieran says he has rediscovered the thrill of filling a floor: "Playing for people who just want to dance is an exciting thing for someone who’s into experimental music". As you might expect with Four Tet, however, nothing is ever that straightforward, and his DJ Kicks is a mind blowing experience, taking in just about as many genres as there are tracks: Old skool hip-hop, French prog, conscious soul, electronic experimentation, minimal techno, early two-step, cosmic jazz, African thumb pianos and much more besides share space here, bound together by analogue synth interludes, segues and an exclusive new Four Tet track specially created for this compilation 'Pockets'; this year's only release under the Four Tet moniker.

Review: Karl Frierson (The lead singer of the successful, lounge-meets-acid-jazz formation DePhazz) introducing his solo project, does everything right: charmingly chit-chatting, ravishingly yielding bilingual conferences, hissing, resenting, touching the winter-depressed audience in such a way, that they make their voluntary contribution to a fantastic soul party! That's pretty steep! Sensibly, Karl Frierson chose several brilliant musicians and producers to maintain an analogue recording of the songs as much as possible. The album contains no additional electronic sounds and moods, but should be live and hence real. Therefore, it's almost logical that his longed for a solo album bears the title "Soulprint". It will leave one's mark - his!

Review: Limited edition Japanese only CD with a 2 part mix totaling around 60 minutes from legendary Japanese
DJ/Producer Hiroshi Fujiwara. One is a Mellow soul mix and the other is Mellow dub mix (around 30 minutes each)