Albert's Favourites レコード& CD

Review: Although a drummer by trade (he's a member of the expansions and has previously played with the Gene Dudley Group and Andrew Ashong), Jonny Drop is also one hell of a beat-maker. He's previously proved that through occasional releases on Albert's Favourites and here confirms it via a brand new album that portrays him as a wizard with an MPC and a penchant for soulful, jazzy musicality. The Only Sound is chock full of highlights, from the inspired neo-soul bliss of "32 Degrees" and "The Looking Glass", to the sinewy broken beat brilliance of "Think It Over" and drowsy mid-afternoon shuffle of "All This Trouble".

Review: Having previously impressed with a trio of singles - particularly 2013 debut "Lavender" - hopes are naturally high for this first full-length from the James O'Keefe and Dave Koor-helmed Expansions project. Predictably, they deliver in spades, serving up a set whose fluid spontaneity and meandering solos owe much to the fact that the album was recorded in just three days. There's plenty of spacey jazz-funk and fusion fun to be found throughout, from the intergalactic synth solos of "Pocket 5" and dancefloor-burning heat of "Ivory Mountain", to the daydreaming Fender Rhodes motifs and fizzing drums of killer closer "Miles Away". Happily, fine recent single "Breakthrough" also makes an appearance.

Review: London beat-maker Hector Plimmer has a wide palette of influences - think off-kilter hip-hop grooves of Flying Lotus, contemporary jazz, British bass music, the soul-fired deep house of Theo Parrish and the jazz-funk influenced skip of broken beat - yet the music he makes is never cluttered, confused or needlessly eclectic. In fact, as this second album proves, he has a clear vision. Deep, soulful, warm and attractive, the set's 13 tracks are universally superb and come laden with vocals from a high-grade cast-list of guests including Andrew Ashong, Emma-Jean Thackray, Ella May and the Pie Eye Collective. It's one of those albums that will almost certainly be slept on, so do yourself a favour and don't let it pass you by.

Review: Headed up by jazz-man and broken beat hero Mark de Clive-Lowe, Tokyo's Ronin Arkestra is an all-star collective that includes members of some of Japan's leading jazz and electronic music outfits. We shouldn't really be surprised, then, that debut album "Sonkei" is rather special. It features some suitably grandiose and epic contemporary jazz workouts - see "Onkochishin", the wonderfully spiritual and dancefloor-friendly "The Art of Altercation" and loose-limbed closing cut "Tempestuous Temperaments" - but the influence of other forms of music (most notably dub, ambient and electronica) is evident throughout, often in subtle and surprising ways. In other words, it sounds like a future jazz classic in the making.

Review: Although he never stopped delivering breezy and evocative blends of hip-hop, soul and jazz, Adam Scrimshire hasn't offered up an album in almost six years. That's one of the reasons that we were so excited about "Listeners", his new full-length excursion. Happily, we can confirm that the Wah Wah 45s affiliate has hit the spot with his more jazz-focused set yet. While it's not "pure" jazz in the traditional sense - there are odd electronic noises, differing rhythms, soulful vocals and trips into ambient, broken beat and hip-hop soul territory - it features a wealth of talented jazz players, some inspired vocalists and the kind of soft-touch production that rewards repeat listens. In other words, it's his musically intricate set to date.