Review: Second time around for Sneaker Pimps' Six Underground, the lesser-celebrated follow-up to the duo's renowned 'Spin Spin Sugar' single (famous, of course, because of Armand Van Helden's influential 'Dark Garage' remix). While the revisions included here - all initially released in 1996 - did not make as big an impression, all four have stood the test of time impressively. The headline attraction is a pair of Two Lone Swordsmen rubs, which are amongst the earliest reworks Weatherall and Tenniswood laid down under the alias. The vocal and instrumental takes are low slung trip-hop tracks overlaid with heady electronic elements. Elsewhere, Nellee Hooper channels the spirit (and sound) of his work with Massive Attack, and Hull boys Fila Brazillia lay down a typically deep, dubby and slowly evolving downtempo workout.
Though My Eyes Go To Sleep My Heart Does Not Forget You
To The Lonely Sea
Waiting For The Dawn
Review: British-Bahrani composer and trumpeter Yazz Ahmed has long been one of the most unique artists within the UK jazz scene, frequently producing music that draws on the Arabic side of her heritage (she even went as far as commissioning a unique 'quarter-tone' flugelhorn in order to play 'blue notes' not found in Western jazz and classical music). Even so, A Paradise In The Hold - her first studio album for nearly six years - is a startling concoction. Drawing influence from ambient, dub and electronica as well as jazz and Arabic music, it features Ahmed's first compositions for voice. Frequently haunting, immersive, and quietly exotic, the album sits in a unique sonic space that's never less than beguiling and intoxicating. Award nominations await!
Review: Given that Olli Avhenlahti released his debut album way back in 1975, you'd forgive the Finnish pianist-composer slowing down a little in his old age. Mirror Mirror, his latest gorgeous and thoroughly entertaining full-length excursion, arrives some seven years after its' predecessor, Gilles Peterson favourite Thinking, Whistling. Beginning with the gorgeously warm and sun-kissed title track, Avhenlahti and his trusted band of players lay down a series of killer cuts that invariably join the dots between contemporary jazz, jazz-dance and jazz-funk. It's a format that offers the perfect platform for Avhenlahti to show his skills on Rhodes electric piano and his trusty Oberheim synthesiser. Naturally he does that, sparring with sax and trumpet soloists over some seriously sumptuous grooves.
Review: Alabaster DePlume's latest album is a meditation on self-worth and healing, drawing from his poetry book Looking for My Value: Prologue to a Blade, he crafts 11 tracks that feel deeply personal yet universal. His saxophone, sometimes fluid, sometimes jagged, acts as both voice and emphasis on the likes of opener 'Oh My Actual Days' swells with sax and Macie Stewart's ghostly strings, a slow march toward reckoning. 'Thank You My Pain' turns its mantra-like refrain into a rhythmic meditation on discomfort. 'Invincibility' lifts into choral release, a breath after holding under water. The instrumental 'Prayer for My Sovereign Dignity' is an anthem for self-possession, while 'Form a V' channels the discipline of jiu-jitsu, inviting confrontation. Unlike his past, more improvisation-led works, this is tightly composed, arranged and produced by DePlume himself - and the result is direct, unflinching and deeply felt.
Review: Asake's latest release showcases his signature blend of Afrobeat and contemporary global sounds, delivering a richly layered collection that reflects his artistic growth. Tracks like 'Wave (feat Central Cee)' seamlessly merge Afrobeats with trap influences, while 'Active (feat Travis Scott)' introduces amapiano textures into Asake's distinct soundscape. These collaborations amplify the album's dynamic energy, while Asake's lyrics delve into themes of resilience and ambition. It's a confident step forward, cementing his position as a global force in music.
Review: Unfairly labelled as a novel curio when they first emerged, the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band is a genuine expression of Mighty Mocambos man Bjorn Wagner's love of Trinidadian steel pan music. Their tracks - often, but not always, quirky cover versions - combined authentic funk instrumentation (drums, bass, guitar, horns) with the timeless and distinctive sound of steel drums. BRSB, the combo's fourth album, is another summery and effortlessly entertaining treat. Highlights include the inspired 'Love For The Sake of Dub' (an organic interpretation of Claudja Barry's slo-mo disco classic 'Love For The Sake of Love'), the breaker-friendly cheeriness and heaviness of 'Grilled', a wonderfully woozy and dubbed out stroll through the 'Stranger Things Theme', and the summer sunshine of 'Champion's Walk'.
Review: In early 2024, contemporary jazz cats BADBADNOTGOOD reported that they returned to the studio energised by recent international shows and collaborations with artists like Daniel Caesar, Charlotte Day Wilson and Baby Rose. The Canadian trio of Al Sow, Chester Hansen and Leland Whitty then joined with friends including Felix Fox-Pappas, Kaelin Murphy and Tyler Lott for an intensive recording week at Los Angeles' Valentine Studios. The result was the Mid Spiral series which explores distinct themes of Chaos, Order and Growth. Released initially in three digital parts, this genre-blending project now arrives on CD via XL and is another superb listen that explores how their roots in instrumental jazz fuse with hip-hop, neo-soul and funk.
There's Nothing Left For Us Here (feat Fassara Sacko)
Suley's Ablution
Golo Kan
Seasons Of Baraka
Review: Two years on from the release of their fantastic debut album, Wolo So, Balimaya Project returns with more inspired fusions of polyrhythms, percussion, heady horns, "virtuosic kora styles", contemporary jazz and traditional Mande music. It's a uniquely sweet, deep and gently sun-soaked sound - all emotive vocals, tapped out tribal rhythms, frazzled solos, dreamy acoustic guitars, glistening highlife-influenced electric guitars and sultry, soulful intent. The London-based collective has long been hard-to-pigeonhole, and it's this impeccably realised but sonically adventurous approach - along with the quality of their musicianship - that's been the key to their success. When The Dust Settles will only enhance their rising reputation - it really is that good!
Review: By the time they released Saci Perere in 1980, carioca outfit Banda Black Rio were amongst Brazil's biggest dance music stars - an outfit whose blends of samba, jazz, disco, funk and MPB moved the heart and feet of the country's dancers. The set remains a timeless Brazilian classic - hence this much-deserved CD reissue. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the leisurely sundown headiness of 'Saci Perere', and horn-heavy jauntiness of 'Melissa', to the funky samba-jazz fusion of 'Subindo O Morro', synth-laden downtempo sunshine of 'Amor Natural' and the atmospheric Latin disco-funk of 'Broto Sexy'. An album that should be in every Brazilian music fan's collection.
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