Back catalogue: International

Review: The FunkyJaws Music label invites us deep into their world for a third time here with another delicious 12".It's a various artists EP that features one of our top disco favourites - Eddie C. He opens up with 'Do You Wanna Dance' which has vocals pacing about the mix and old school acid bass twangs under raw house drums. Elado's '25.4 Millimeters' is a Middle Eastern funk workout with spangled drum hits and the flip side brings twisted acid disco and the cosmic trip that is 'In Your Ear With It' from Funkyjaws themselves.

Review: Schatzi is the edit label run by parent imprint Let's Play OHOuse in Brooklyn. This eighth volume of dance floor bombs is another essential one for those looking to light up the club. There is squelchy synth-funk on the international opener with its gorgeous backing vocals and lead Portuguese verses. Things get more stripped back and funky on 'Track 2' and elsewhere there is crunchy proto-electro, glossy, jazz-laced deep house groovers and slow motion, deep cut and playful electro-funk delights.

Review: Famous as the nephew of the world famous sitarist Ravi Shankar, Ananda Shankar carried the torch by contributing several greats to the continuing tide of prog rock and Western electronica. One such project was Sa-Re-Ga Machan, first released in 1981, and which lent a jungle-safari theme to the already established electronic rock fusions he'd laid down on his earlier self-titled record. Seguing through rollicking, schools-out psychedelic odysseys, not to mention humid, wonderfully sublime tropical soundscapes on which we can't tell what's synthetic and what isn't, this is an worthy new reissue from Life Goes On; worth every penny.

Review: Anoushka Shankar is of course daughter of the acclaimed sitar player Ravi who was brought to global prominence through his association with The Beatles. Anoushka is just as revered in her own right and the sitar player, producer and composer is now back with a new mini-album in the form of her Forever For Now EP. It is the first of three releases which will come between tours and form an ever evolving story. Ti sone features featuring guest appearances by Nils Frahm on piano, glass harmonica, harmonium and slit drum as well as Gal Maestro on bass and Magda Giannikou on accordion.

Review: Anoushka Shankar's Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn is a riveting sonic journey that seamlessly blends eastern and western musical sensibilities. From the rocking piano motifs of 'Pacifica' to the dreamy textures of 'Offering' and the mystical ambiance of 'Below the Surface,' each track unveils layers of evocative dreamscapes. Shankar's sitar weaves enchanting melodies, complemented by the soothing sounds of waves and voices. The album's fusion of instruments and tonalities creates a healing experience, inviting listeners to relax and float downstream. With its profound depth and beauty, Chapter II transcends mere background music, resonating as a genuine artistic expression. Anoushka Shankar offers a compelling soundtrack for introspection and tranquility.

Review: "Once upon a time, along the coasts of this sea, passed the silk road, the route of salt and spices, oils and perfumes, amber and ornaments, tools and weapons, of wisdom and knowledge, art and science.
Here different people and races have continued to interweave, unite and dispute for centuries as perhaps in no other religion on this planet." These are the words that introduce the new eponymous album by Flankup Recordings artist Sidi Bou Said or Paolo Russi and Marco Lanfranchi (aka. Indy). The Milanese duo, who originally joined forces over the creation of a score for a short documentary film - which told the story of twin brotherly cultures the Sicilians and Tunisians from the northern coast - expanded on that energy and decided to make a proper duo record. 'Sidi Bou Said' is, indeed, a stunning five-track composition, on which Paolo and Marco establish an inspiring array of Arabic disco, Afro-house and Balearic rhythms, and giving life to an acoustic, perceptible musical exploration of such pan-Mediterranean lands; gathering together, most importantly, in the most sensitive and conscious way, the sounds that portray them. The EP takes the listener on an auditory pilgrimage to the loudest and most vibrant Sicilian road markets with 'Babbaluci', then on to the unmistakable scent of spices and olfactory street-scenes of the titular neighbourhood, 'Sidi Bou Said', located north of Tunis. Then to the coastal town of 'Hel Haouaria' with its wind and shiny waters.

Review: The high class Melodies International reissue label co-run by Floating Points and Elliot Bernard is back with the seance in its Melodies Record Club series. This time it is blistering club DJ Ben UFO who gets his pick after Four Tet had his go earlier in the year. The two tunes he pick have long been staples in his set either though on the surface of it neither are typical club tunes. They have never before been available on vinyl for that reason but we're glad they are now. 'Drums' is off Laurie Spiegel's 1980 experimental album The Expanding Universe and is all oscillating synths and computer generated percussion while Olof Dreijer from the Swedish band the Knife offers 'Echoes From Mamori' on the flip, a more tropical and whimsical cut of new age licked house made from arpeggios and frog samples.