New releases last four weeks: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul

Review: Naya Beat's modus operandi is to champion the OG sounds of the South Asian underground through the lenticular funnel of dance music. Their latest in this effort is a breakout wonder in V/A form, herding together three contemporary club titans for a jolly trans-national dialogue over the original stylings of an inimitable key player in proliferation of Bhangra music, Manjeet Kondal. The late great Kondal hears one original piece, 'Pyaar', reissued, alongside two exclusive versions of 'Ishkaan De Mamle' by digger extraordinaire Mr. Scruff, followed by a closing, straight-from-the-stems downtempo acid dub tribute by modern day remixers and DJs Turbotito & Ragz. This is an honorific tribute to the crossection of late 80s to early 90s Bhangra music with acid house, carefully modelled after the aesthetic sensibilities of the time.

Review: Estonian label RR Gems continues to fly the flag for the finest experimental jazz music, introducing the world to the sound of EEG Coherence. Recorded at the legendary Hotel 2 Tango studios in Montreal, their debut album is a flowing, engrossing affair which flirts with free jazz forms while keeping a certain smoky, groove-minded vibe at the centre of the rhythm section. It lopes and slopes, letting prominent guitar work needle its way around looming basslines and splashy, spaced-out drums with splashes of vocals, flutes, sax and keys darting about in the mix for good measure. If you value free jazz you can latch onto, this album is a must-check.

Review: Electronica production duo Arnau Obiols and Kayyak, who've laid down a name for themselves for their distinct blend of cultural influences and captivating soundscapes, here present two new tracks that seamlessly fuse Afro-inspired rhythms with groovy organic beats. Barely letting us clock for a second that these are in any way electronically programmed or sequenced, this fresh Compost Records 12" hears its two new cuts, 'Faith' and 'San Diago', abound in the ambered, sandy interim of a clear-skied evening, in which cocktails flow and smiles widen. Remixes by Prins Thomas and Medle & Dele Sosimi do just as well to complement the mood.

Review: Tour-Maubourg has been receiving quite a bit of press since their very first release. Often, their records quickly become sought after for their amazing beauty and genre-washing abilities. 'The Panorama Sessions' aims to continue the strong promotion and deliver another home run. Like the name suggests, these are alternate versions of other treasured Tour-Maubourg tracks that were featured on different releases, with this 12" bringing in the talents of the Ismael Ndir on saxophone. 'The Opening' gives us At Les vibes with the brilliant melodic touch, a smoothed out Balearic track that is nothing short of sublime, while 'Ode to Love' is another goosebump creator. These sunset styled interludes expanding into a feeling of light jazz and pseudo house, really work well on our mood receptors. 'Saint The A La Menthe (Panorama version)' is perhaps the most soulful track here, making it a perfect way to close things out. All and all, four unique, terrific new versions of classic Tour-Maubourg material to enjoy.

Review: The late legendary Japanese beatmaker Nujabes was a musical genius, this we know to be true. His constant resurgence on social media throughout the years affirms this, with 'Modal Soul', his second full-length album in 2005, blowing up time and time again online. It comes as no surprise, his meticulous devotion to hip-hop-jazz was unlike any before him, or since. 'Other Side of Phase' is a 12" three track record, with its title track being the instrumental for the famous anime 'Samurai Champloo', originally featuring one of Japan's most prolific MCs to ever hold the mic. A standout is 'Rainyway Back Home', a fly song combining the keys from an old Jeru the Damaga cut and the drums from a Power of Zeus track. Nujabes will never - ever - go out of style.

Review: Brazilian producer Zopelar is a real wizard when at work in the studio. He has done disco-tinged full lengths, synth-laced house sounds, deeper than deep grooves and now steps up to Sudd Wax with another brilliantly musical EP. It opens with the shimmering pads and free-flowing keys of 'Papaia' which then gets a Byron The Aquarius Jazz Twist mix that cuts even more free and gets even more cosmic. 'Jazz Class' is a funky one with golden chords and astral pads and the flip brings three more house gems laced up with the sort of meaningful melodies you don't often hear in this genre.

Review: Well Curated is a series of releases and parties that - in its own words - "reflects the ethnomusicology of the last 50 years of music" - and aims to reach into all genres, merging classic styles and breaking down barriers. Steve Spacek occupies the A-side with the breezy broken beat and soul-in-space of 'Alone In Da Sun', while Lukid's 'Hair Of The Dog' is a more intense counterpart, with wobbling sub-bass and swirling, surging atmospherics hovering above.

Review: Skygaze has some recent tunes remixed on this new Flumo Limited 12" and the results are nice and varied. The opener is from Allysha Joy who flips 'Night Heat' into a lively broken beat run through with warming and soulful synths and a sprinkling of percussion. 'Gimme Five' (Jailed Jamie & Lorenzo Soria remix) then ups the ante with a party-starting house vibe and fiery stabs. 'Wagwan' gets a fresh dose of broken beats from Divorce From New York that will have you flailing your limbs in all directions and Sofatalk & Footnote then keep things a little deeper with their jazzy and sun-kissed take on 'Minor Mood'. 'City Cathedratics' is the final cut and becomes a cosmic and heady, percussive and shimmering late-night sound thanks to the work of Karmasound remix.