Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: Mushroom Pillow have tapped up the maverick Jacques Renault here and asked him to tap into a whole new world of influence away from his colourful house fair. It is the rich heritage of Latin underground sounds he leans on most as he threads together his own edits of classics from that world into two steamy new jams. His vibrant rhythms come peppered with mystic flutes and Latin vocals, psyched-out guitars and soulful melodies that make for truly captivating listening. The originals were chosen for their historical significance and cultural impact and have been sympathetically touched up here.

Review: The UB's bring their particular brand of funk to this steamy and fiery new 7" on the Fraternity label. It finds them in edit mode and first up reworking 'Stone Fox Chase'. It has some country-style harmonica built into the raw beats and plenty of psyched-out guitar lines that bring Americana vibes to the percolating rhythms. On the flip is their edit of 'Delirium' which is a totally different proposition - smooth funk grooves with busy chords and icy hi-hats. It's one that looks to the stars and crushes there on a feelgood vibe you hope never ends.

Review: It has been a while since Umbo released any new music but now he is back on the Austrian label Resense with a superb pair of edits on this essential little 45 rpm. Kicking things off is 'Grits' which is a hard hitting bit of b-boy funk and breaks with old school soul vocals and plenty of horn stabs powering it ever onwards and upwards. '23h' is a little more seductive but no less busy with tightly woven bongos and congas peppering the high speed funk groove. Fantastic stuff that we hope is the start of much more to come from edit king Umbo.

Review: Insense has put together a tidy 7" featuring a rendition of Pharoah Sanders' 'Moon Child' which was first specially crafted for the compilation album Incense Music for Bed Room. It is a lush and spiritual sound led by gorgeous wind instruments and fluttery melodies over gentle and persuasive rhythms. On the flip, Yoshiharu Takeda's 'Bliss Of Landing' is another escapist sound with more of the same. A lovely 45 rpm for those quiet moments.

Review: Unchained is the longstanding solo project of Nathaniel Davis. Gabbeh is his latest offering to the world, a suite of blissfully introspective tracks that envelop the soul in a blanket of soft, delicate moods, their sole purpose to comfort aching heads. Remarkably, dedicated fans will know you can trace the artist's lineage to noise mix tapes on CD-R, although more recent excursions into Bossa nova influenced tones perhaps help bridge the gap between then and now. Recorded at home over a three year period, from 2020 to 2023, Grenoble, Switzerland, played a big part in end results here. "I think certain songs reflect, in ways, Grenoble's natural surroundings. 'Drac' is named after the river that flows from the mountains down to the city - 'Dru' is the name of a well-known peak near Chamonix," Davis has explained. That as may be, nevertheless there's something more transportive than that here - songs feel as though they would be at home anywhere green, slow and thoughtful.

Review: London-based quartet Uniri takes a unique approach by composing as a collective and bringing in new-beat aesthetics while steering away from traditional jazz band and "bedroom production" concepts. Founded by Chiminyo, Uniri, meaning 'one unified dream,' came to life in his private studio, inviting jazz peers Amane Tsuganami, Al Macsween, and Luke Wynter for spontaneous collaborations. The result, Infinite Reflections, delivers a psychedelic, rhythmic journey infused with cosmic synths and hip-hop beats. Embracing a global trend in jazz fusion, Uniri's debut album promises an innovative aesthetic akin to artists like Flying Lotus and Ras G.