At Home Sound Japan 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Deep house producer Shuya Okino shows his class once more on another tasteful outing, this time via the Extra Freedom/Village Again labels out of Japan. For this one he revisits his 2011 album Destiny which was made with help from the Japanese funk, boogie and jazz-funk outfit Root Soul and replays and remakes the tunes. The originals become more disco-leaning and horn lead jams here with Okino's warm, rubbery basslines, P-funk synths, loose live beats and cute keys. The result is an album that sounds like Earth, Wind & Fire making modern soul and it will improve your life no end.

Review: Shuya Okino and Pirahnahead, two Japanese producers of soulful house and jazz, present the first of a bundle of new releases, 'Shine'. A subsequent two versions of the eponymous track, which flaunt the lilting vocals of the divine Diviniti, hear a driving yet heavenly song play out over two sides, with its echoic calls of "the sun will rise..." calling out over an impressive instrumental dawn chorus of bass and strings.