Freddy Fresh is one busy man: He’s dj-ed all over the world, compiled what seems like hundreds of DJ mixes and compilations, runs several record labels and somehow also has time to get into the studio to produce a huge back catalogue. Stark Ravin’ is a new label set up by Freddy and to kick things off he’s brought in a gifted mc The Conductor Crucified for this new project. This first thing I noticed was that the productions were not what you’d usually expect from a so-called hip hop album. No jiggy business here, just simple quality beats with quality vocals and lyrics. You must lend your ears to the old skool sounding "Paradise O’ Bleeding" and "Heart Vs. Hardware". I hope this is just the start of something special from these guys.

Simon Harrison

Jazzman is one of my favourite re-issue labels and has been responsible for me spending hours trying to get more information on the artists that have been released on their collectable 7" and 12" series. The albums Gerald has put together over the years have always been well thought out with informative sleeve notes and saved us a fortune because some of the rarities featured are well out of my price bracket. Good Things: The Story Of Saadia Records continues with more quality selections and includes all the information you would want to know. Saadia was based in Miami in the 60s and released many rare, one-offs but the most important thing being that the music is top quality which shines through on tracks by Pearl Dowell, Robert Moore and Little Beaver.

Simon Harrison

Scarborough is not a town you’d usually associate with hip hop but Kista has been causing quite a stir with his DJ sets, graffiti work and productions. Just for starters you must check out his “Talk with God” which featured Tableek from the excellent Maspyke. The twelve tracks here are sourced by Kista and are an ace selection of laid back hip hop instrumentals by artists from all over Europe. Many of the names will be unknown to you but that shouldn’t detract you from the quality beats. The artist work has been created by Breakface who’s done illustrations for Lowdown and Wax Poetics magazines, which adds to the finishing touch.

Simon Harrison

Chici Mann is the new project by Antibalas’ guitarist, Marquitos Garcia. It’ll be of no surprise for people who have heard Antibalas to hear that Garcia has stayed with what he knows best- afrobeat- but has added more experimental sounds, with the use of a childhood Casio keyboard and 80’s drum beats. This might sound like a mish mash of ideas but it makes the whole project a little more interesting to listen to and it’s good to see people pushing this forward, rather than trying to copy the greats like Fela and Allen. Highlights for me have been “Soul Freedom” and “Who You Runnin’ From”. Simply Kindred Spirits never put a foot wrong.

Simon Harrison

As we move into 2007 I’ve been finding numerous albums that I missed last year and I’m sure this will be the same in the coming year, as things released are arriving in vast quantities and we’re still in January. One I did miss was “Between Yesterday and Tomorrow” and I’ve no idea why especially when the single “Wanderers Creek” featured remixes by Domu and Maddslinky. I must have been daydreaming when that was released, but the good news is that it’s being re-issued via Goya very soon. So back to Art Bleek’s debut, we have an album that builds wonderfully over the thirteen tracks. Starting with the haunting cinematic “Wanderers Creek” through the jazzy hiphop “Get Your Weight Up”, to the more uptempo “Airgasm” and that’s just three corkers to get you started, proving to us all that whatever the style, Art Bleek certainly knows what he’s doing. Keep your eyes peeled for more blinding remixes from Slope, Charlie Dark and Lil’ Bo Tweek.

Simon Harrison

102% is the fifth album from my local funk band The New Mastersounds and if your tastebuds fancy some funk, you can never go wrong with these guys. There are no vocals but they’ve brought in Rob Lavers on sax and flute, who brings another dimension to their sound. Most of the tracks are their own work, except for a great version of Roots Manuva’s “Witness”, which is certain to gain them a few more fans, and ensure you check out “Thirty three” and “Carrot Juice”. One thing I would love these guys to do is work with more vocalists. They’ve already proved they can do it with the classic “Your Love Is Mine” with Corinne Bailey Rae, and with Nicola Willis blowing up over 2006 and expected to do big things in 2007, it would be perfect timing.

Simon Harrison

Driving into Leeds before Christmas with a friend and I put the “Belle Et Fou” cd on. To our surprise we heard the voice of someone who sounds so much like Barry White, I wondered if I was playing the right cd, or had Jazzanova really done a track with the legend. We finally found the cd cover to discover it was Capital A. What a way to grab your attention and the quality just continued. Micatone, Clara Hill, Thief and Georg Levin sound a treat, with covers from the Jazzanova back catalogue and loving homage to many of the greats.

Jazzanova spent five months working on this project to create the soundtrack, which was then used for the theatrical show aired last year. I just wish I’d known about this a little earlier. It’s great to see artists like Jazzanova and Legends of the Underground taking projects like this to a new level and audience, which will have a great effect on the scene as a whole. This will certainly keep fans of the collective happy until their new album arrives later this year.

Simon Harrison

Slope has always been consistent over the years and never really put a foot wrong. Even though I write that, recently I saw some of his remixes being released and finding myself not giving them a listen. Some of the best tracks on Clara Hill’s album were produced by Slope but again I didn’t quite register, that is until now. This is one album that I went back to again and again over Christmas. With quality remixes from Henrick Schwarz, Meitz, Daz-I-Kue and Afronaught, plus Slope re-works of Fat Freddy’s Drop, 1Luv, Deyampert and Daniel Magg this has finally woken me up to how good Slope is. Yep, he’s dope!

Simon Harrison

Yes, Compost Records are finally there; 250 releases and thirteen years old, I can’t believe how time flies. I don’t remember seeing their first release in the shops but I remember catching onto these guys pretty early. This compromises some of their recently singles and it’s the kind of compilation I like because I’ve been hammering most of these tracks to death. There is Moodymann’s remix of Ali Tree, Carl Craig’s remix of Beanfield, Todd Terje’s re-work of Felix Laband and Tony Nwachukwu’s remix of Karama, which are all essential. There’s also the added bonus of Soil and Pimps, Ben Mono and Koop. You need this.

Simon Harrison

This might be one of those times when it’s taken me so long to put pen to paper that due to limited quantities you may now struggle to hunt down copies of this wonderful vinyl-only album. The Plumstead Radical Club is a project from Trombone player Trevor Mires of the Nostalgia 77 Octet and happens to be the first release on Nostalgia 77’s label. This is Jazz and Soul at its best with a true classic feel to the compositions, which is due the expertise of musicians Mires, Graham Fox, Ross Stanley and Riaan Vosloo. Fans of Strata East, Black Jazz and of course Nostalgia 77 should be quick and seek it out.

Simon Harrison