At the end of 2004 the four track limited 12″ sampler was released and all the tracks blew me away, proving Omar had not lost his touch. Two of those tracks are included here and still sound as good as ever. “It’s So” became a massive broken Beat anthem and is still heard here, there and everywhere. What we have here are fourteen tracks and proof that Omar is at the top of his game. He’s covered all the bases with heavy Hiphop beats featuring Common and Rodney P, hints of R&B with Sing and “Stylin”, Latin Jazz on “Be A Man” and of course “Feeling You” with Stevie Wonder back on top form. The quality never lets up and to finish the album off is the simply brilliant “Ghana Emotion”, which I just can’t get enough of. The standard has been set for album of 2006.

Simon Harrison

2006 is certainly going to be quite a year for Max Cole, with three projects being released over the following months. First we have Max’s excellent debut for the ever consistent Wah Wah stable. Max has a lovely if unique voice which just gets better and better with every play. The single “Mo High” which was released in 2005 stood out to be that little bit different, but those not convinced will find a slightly different vibe here and it’s a pleasure to listen to. Initially a bedroom producer who knows that it’s not all about electronics he is also a dab hand at various instruments, giving this the live feel suited to Max’s vocals and wonderful guest vocalists Deborah Jordan and Lucy May. The next two projects from Max are Moto Tengu and Other Worlds: can’t wait.

Simon Harrison

Yet another corking compilation from Tru Thoughts and it features all their heavyweight artists including Alice Russell, The Nostalgia 77 Octet, The Bamboos, Diesler and more. If you’re a vinyl junkie there is a chance you may have picked up a few of these tracks: if not this is a must. Tracks worthy of your attention are Quantic & Nickodemus’ "Mi Swing Es Tropical", Diesler’s remix of Nirobi & Barakas "Bungee Jump Against Racism", Polar Pair v Maddslinky’s "Over My Head" and DJ Vadim’s remix of Alice Russell’s "A Fly In The Hand". Check out the Tru Thoughts website now because you can purchase this for a bargain reduced price.

Simon Harrison

Mr Peterson is currently churning out compilations at an alarming rate but you’ve got to give it to him, they are always quality selections. Here is the second instalment of all things Brazilian and it keeps with the same formula as the first. CD1 is old school from the 60’s and 70’s, and CD2 features tracks from the last few years and of course includes various big name remixers. My preference is CD1 but I’m not convinced we needed to hear another version of ‘California Soul’. The other thirteen tracks are an excellent mix up with sprinklings of funk, samba and jazz. My current faves from CD2 are tracks by Bugz in the Attic, Zero Db, Bruno E Sexteto and some ace drum & bass from Drumagick.
Gilles is recording 6 podcasts to cover the different aspect of Brazil’s music culture. Check them out here: www.brahma.com/gillespeterson

Simon Harrison

Just before I received ‘Unreleased’, I found out that Jocelyn had been on a reality TV show and even though this may well boost sales of this album, I was a little unsure what to expect. Of course I have no idea how well she did, but with a voice as good as Jocelyn’s it was unlikely the real world would vote for a real talent, rather than some second-rate pop star. One thing for sure is that Jocelyn has an amazing voice and had featured on far too many tracks to mention here. All fourteen tracks here are certainly aimed at the modern soul scene and a pleasure to listen to. The standout track for me is the excellent ‘She’d Called’, which is Jocelyn at her best. Ensure you give this a listen.

Simon Harrison

Introducing us to a stable of new artists from ‘down under’, the debut compilation from this Sydney-based label guides us seamlessly through Future Jazz and Broken Beat territory, Click-House, twisted Electro, and poppy Nu-Disco, whilst maintaining a techy, synth-driven feeling throughout. Despite a plateau in the middle, the CD starts and finishes strongly and, with nods to labels like Dialect and 20:20 Vision, there is some high-quality electronic music here that will have you dancing round your bedroom in no time.

Tom Breslin

With his status as a leading light of independent Hip-Hop already cemented, Boston-bred MC, Mr. Lif returns with a bang, delivering an explosive, but cerebral commentary on the state of US society. It is unfortunate then, that his immense lyrical talent is often drowned-out here by a relentlessly tough, speaker-puncturing production style, courtesy of Def Jux honcho El-P. It’s not all bad news, but the chaos of the Funk and Rock-fuelled soundscape makes it tough to appreciate the presence of a gifted vocalist.

Tom Breslin

I was rather excited to get this album mainly due to it being the return of Osunlade. He’s been hammering out remixes ten to the dozen and all of them of supreme quality and of the 4/4 variety. This is the second opportunity to see where the well known DJ and producer is at musically and yes we already know it’s going to be deep. What I didn’t realise before was that Osunlade plays just about every instrument and produces all the tracks. He may have done that on his previous album “Paradigm” but I never checked the sleeve notes. All the tracks are beautifully structured and vary from deep percussion house, to funk and tracks that are more downbeat than you might expect. Osunlade now lives in Greece which may well explain the slight change in direction and I hope this change will be reflected in his next remixes.

Simon Harrison

Ten years ago I was working in a local record shop, and I remember the first release on Chilli Funk, DSL’s ‘Enfusion’, arriving in a box of new releases, and I’ve been a fan ever since. With an extensive back catalogue, Lofty, the man behind Chilli Funk and selector of this compilation, has wisely chosen to spread the selection over two cds. If you’ve missed any of their back catalogue, this is the perfect opportunity to do some catching up. All the heavy weights are here: Nathan Haines, Eastwest Connection, Restless Soul, Marathon Men, Vanessa Freeman and Jody Watley, with remixes by the likes of Kenny Dope, Ashley Beedle, Blaze and DJ Gregory. A limited four track 12′ will also appear and as if that’s not enough, there is a bonus cd mixed by Notenshun. Phew, Chillifunk don’t do things in halves.

Simon Harrison

How times fly when you’re having fun: It’s amazingly only been one year since Jonathan Radford Diesler dropped his debut "Diggin It Somethin Rotten", which I can assure you has been a big favourite around these parts. I’ve been hammering the new single "Charmed" and was really looking forward to hearing where Jonathan was going to take us this time. There are some joints that continue from where "Diggin" left us, with those dirty funk bassline instrumentals and horns stabs, which we know and love. The main change is the excellent vocalists that include: Laura Vane, Double Yellow and Joseph Malik. All compliment the productions perfectly, and if you like "Charmed", you’re in for a treat because there are more vocals hooks and lyrics that will be running around in your head for weeks.

Simon Harrison