Urban Discos Japan 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Japanese jazz trio Nautilus (named of course after Bob James' 1974 fusion classic) are also high-quality rare groove merchants and super sweet and smooth fusion sounds. They have been prolific again this year with somewhere around six new releases and now this welcome Revival album. It comes on both CD (this being a Japanese special edition) and vinyl and is a fine showcase of their sounds which manages to be both timeless and classic as well as contemporary in execution. Many of their recent singles feature here alongside some other treats.

Review: Japanese rare groove merchants Nautilus are back in the wake of their Reconnection album with a new 7" of sweet and smooth jazz funk in their signature style. There's an endlessly crisp quality to the playing and production on Nautilus records which ensures they land with maximum effect. The A side on this new single is 'We Gettin Down', a bright and breezy confection with some choice talk box action, Rhodes and synths in conversation and sprightly beats. 'Nautical Table' gets a little craftier, dealing in skittering drums and nimble piano without losing that clarity we've come to expect from this highly talented group.

Review: Japan's premier jazz funk covers outfit Nautilus are back on the scene with another 7" of those pristine grooves they lay down so well. They've been busy lately, recording the Serendipity album with Lisa Decker and just releasing the Reconnection album amongst other singles and EPs, but once again they've got more beautifully executed music to impart to the world. 'Skyscrapers' rides on a taut breakbeat and features some slinky bass guitar, striking an ever-so-slightly moody tone. 'Another World' is all about the snappy piano hooks, with the band following dutifully behind each melodic passage and winding up in something sweet and funky - as if you expect any less from this band.

Review: Prolific Japanese jazzers Nautilus - made up of drummer Toshiyuki Sasaki, keyboardist Daisuke Takeuchi, and bassist Shigeki Umezawa - present their latest 7" release 'A Story About You'. It's an emotive A-and-B-sider of mournful mood, with the A-side cemented by rolling pianos and a central lyric-melody performed by Mariko's talkbox, and B-sider 'Sweet Power Your Embrace' coming as a cover of the 1977 classic by James Mason. Signaling news of a full-length album to come - you'd better fasten your seatbelts.

Review: You can always count on Nautilus to deliver the most sophisticated covers of soul and jazz standards. The Japanese jazz funk outfit have a pristine approach to their craft, but they also know how to edge their own personality into the versions they lay down. So it goes as they approach the monumental 'Move On Up' by Curtis Mayfield, which is no small task. The actual cut on this 7" is the DJ JIN re-edit, which makes the track fit comfortably on a 45 but also makes sure it works for the DJs out there. On the flip 'Beyond The Redemption' has a more uptempo feel thanks to the sharp angles of the drums and the ascendant keys gliding over the dynamic low end.

Review: We've become accustomed to hearing Nautilus offer-up authentic, Hammond-rich jazz-funk of the sort associated with such 1970s titans of the genre as Lonnie Liston Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Smith and Herbie Hancock. On 'Caught Up', the flip the script, recruiting vocalist Emi Tawata to help conjure up a wonderfully starry, warming, organic and mood-enhancing slab of R&B-influenced modern soul. Their Rhodes-laden (and genuinely inspired) original mix comes accompanied by an alternative take from Jazzy Sport regular Grooveman Spot, who brilliantly re-imagines the song as a squelchy, synth-laden slab of slipped soul rich in colourful electronics, bold electronic bass and crunchy machine beats.