Isle Of Jura Australia レコード& CD

Review: Kevin Griffiths (aka Jura Soundsystem) is the man behind the Isle of Jura label and now it turns to Ambient Warrior once more for II, which comes a couple of years after the hugely successful reissue of their Dub's Journey album form 1995. This is a previously unreleased record made between 1995 and 1999 and it comes from the same pool of sound as that LP. It's a seamless blend of instrumental dub, reggae, bossa nova and tango music that is hugely immersive and distinctive. None of the tunes you will have heard before and that are more great windows into the minds of Ronnie Lion and Andrea Terrano.

Review: This third volume of instrumentals continues the faultless Isle of Jura label's deep dive into dub versions and beyond. Side one takes in references from UK street soul and reggae and features two late-'80s tracks by Howard Hill with machine-led rhythms, rudeboy reggae skank and soulful pads. Protek's 'I Love to Dance With You' is a proto-house gem featured in a Jura Soundsystem mix and here it gets a loving re-edit by The Nightlark. Side B includes an instrumental-driven track with spacey FX from The Cool Notes' and Ilija Rudman's 'Dub 4 Love' which is a knowing nod to acid house's golden era.

Review: Isle of Jura revisits the wonderful 'A Muto' by Esa here with a fresh reissue of it in original form with various remixes. It was originally released in 1986 on the 'Atesa' album and became an instant hit in Cameroon and Africa. The lyrics of tell the story of a woman leaving her husband, frustrated with her isolation as the housekeeper. The song blends Makossa, a brass-heavy style from the French Cameroons, with Ambasse Bey which is a traditional fast-paced dance music from Cameroon. When it was first written, Martin gathered session musicians in Paris and personally programmed the drums and synths using a Linn Drum and Yamaha DX7 to create a unique fusion of modern and traditional Cameroonian sounds.

Review: Isle Of Jura's latest must-have reissue isn't a slept-on Balearic gem, but rather a turn-of-the-'80s disco-boogie classic from sadly departed Nigerian musician Harry Mosco. Many may know the breezy Afro/disco/funk fusion of opener "Sexy Dancer" and the hazy disco-funk genius of "Step On" (both have been reissued in the past), yet it's the lesser-known cuts - particularly the lolloping, Clavinet-heavy dub disco of "Peace & Harmony", spaced-out "Peaceful Dub" and sumptuous jazz-funk slow jam "Do It Together" - that really set the pulse racing. The reissue sounds superb, too, thanks to a killer re-mastering job, so it's no stretch to suggest that it's worth picking this version up rather than tracking down an original pressing.

Review: Ronnie Lion is one half of Ambient Warrior and this is his debut solo outing. It finds him paying homage to Spanish Town, which is the capital of St Catherine in Jamaica and that is apparent from the off with its lush Spanish guitar notes fluttering over the face of the dubbed-out low ends and shiny digital chords. Lead guitarist Sean Wilkinson pays plenty of the guitar and the rhythm section has Ronnie himself on bass while Horseman is on drums to bring a heavy foundation. Up to the intricate and memorable hooks add the colour and charm and elements of Bossa Nova and Flamenco guitar also help add extra layers to this fine debut.

Review: Isle Of Jura's latest on-point release is a new edition of Zann's sought-after 1990 set "Strange Ways/Inside Jungle", a self-released album of experimental, left-of-centre musical fusions produced in the band's basement studio in Dortmund. The record's genius lies in the band's mixture of Eno/Byrne style ambient motifs, delay-laden electronic beats, densely layered African and South American percussion sounds and chiming instruments from South East Asia. There are some suitably trippy tricks employed here and there - backwards vocals, layered field recordings and so on - but also snaking sax lines and cheery synthesizer melodies. In other words, it's an inspired, hard-to-pigeonhole album that just gets better with each successive listen.