Back catalogue: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul

Review: There's not a huge amount we can say with certainty about O$VMV$M. The act is based in Bristol, UK, and certainly reinforce preconceptions of the city as a hotbed for leftfield stuff. Whether that's politics, art, or, in this case, music. Or perhaps all three. Beach Road is as much an exercise in sound-as-art as it is music per se, and as such is a strong statement about the lack of vision and imagination stalking streaming services and record shops alike in 2023.

None of which is to say that O$VMV$M's six-track EP isn't packed with incredible music. 'Diablo', one of the wildest, strangest efforts here, is disjointed mutant pop-electronica that seems like someone is warming up for an MPC showcase, and exemplifies our point. It's pleasurable to hear, but fascinating to take apart. Similar points can be made about the sparse, glitchy percussion of 'Beach Road' and 'Follow', making this one for the deep dive enthusiasts.

Review: One of the UK's most distinctive, consistent and authentic male soul voices returns with his eighth album in 27 years... And it's a serious piece of work. Rich in range, warmth, creativity and a keen eye on the dancefloor, everything about him feels refreshed and energised. Highlights include the Dilla-meets-Iz & Diz style "This Way That Way", the glistening Balearic charm of "Feeds My Mind", the syrupy organs and harmonies on "Insatiable". Winding down with the almost filmic narrative "Grey Clouds", it's one of those records that will have you leaping up, flipping to side A and starting all over again. Feel the love.

Review: Hard-working beat-maker Omas has been operative on the hip-hop underround for the best part of a decade, dividing his time between laying cuts and scratches for other artists, working with the National Curriculum crew and releasing occasional seven-inch singles on the My First Moth label. Plying Trade, his first full-length excursion, is undoubtedly his most sizable project to date. It's rather good, too, with Omas offering up a range of dusty, club-ready and blunted instrumentals that make great use of a wide range of samples while doffing a cap to boom-bap, golden-era beats and the stoned, head-nodding goodness that was once the backbone of Ninja Tune's release schedule.

Review: Joshua Smeltink is a pianist and producer who works under the On-Ly alias. Since around 2017 has he been playing local bars as well as being a part of a number of different bands. He is currently busy with his own On-Ly band which features Carl Lindeberg on bass, Henry Hicks strumming the guitar and Bryce Zelno from Astral Feld on drums. This heavyweight new album explores worldly rhythms with plenty of off-beat grooves, finger clicks, hulling great drum hits, dark synth sounds and expressive broken beats and jazz melodies to make for an album that is as primal sounding as it is beautiful.