London producer Joash’s debut is an electronic dance offering highlighted by jazz and pop influenced rhythms and dreamy orchestral soundscapes. Joash started his career as a drummer before becoming drawn to dance and techno by the likes of Plastikman and Laurent Garnier. That admiration has served him well on this release, which features notable selections like the bossa flavored “The First Cause”. “Mission” starts out with a symphony sample that builds into an beat driven futuristic hip-hop gem. Rapper Replife’s take no prisoners approach is the perfect complement to the track. “Montreal” has a jazz fusion vibe in part by the electric guitar inspired melodies. “Climb” is orchestral pop highlighted by the vocals of David Frith. Among the fifteen tracks there are three orchestral remixes but the end of the disc I felt I overindulged, trimming it down to nine or ten original tracks would’ve been enough. Overall this is a solid debut that should spring a promising run of more quality recordings.

Reg Dancy

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We have yet another superb recording from the Futuristica label, this time from the producer from Manchester known as Rise. His full length debut is an odyssey of spiritual jazz samplings inspired by pioneers like Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. Rise masterfully captures the spirit of the late sixties Black Nationalist jazz movement and many of references throughout the disc are totally relevant today.  The disc kicks off with a monologue that about the responsibilities as musicians to “Shine A Light” into the darkness. This message is delivered over a melodic piano and flute solo. “Psalm 64” is easily one of highlights of the disc, which is really saying something. It opens with a monologue about being a positive force in the world and segues into an afro-centric jazz gem filled with blistering horns, lively percussion and piano rhythms.  “Requiem” begins with a profound view of the uprising around the world from forty plus years ago and how similar incidents are taking place today. The tune itself evokes harmonies reminiscent of Donald Byrd’s trumpet playing and the Mizell Brothers song arrangement. “Shine Down” is another winner that’s filled with infectious melodies and rhythms and worthy of repeated listens. Rise is a producer you’re certain to hear a lot more from and “Messages” is an album you don’t want to miss.

Reg Dancy

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Frankfurt’s own Gregor Treshor has been at the forefront of the techno scene ever since his 2005 hit “Still EP”. Based on his latest release, “Lights From The Inside” the thirty year old DJ appears poised to build on that success.  Treshor’s thirteen track release features tunes that are more groove influenced than his previous release but the results are more than satisfying. Among the highlights is the title track, led by a hypnotizing yet gorgeous melody. “Black To Zero” stands out in part due to its wicked bass line and “Echelon”, complete with warped out chords will be a definite crowd pleaser for rave audiences. With quality production and well written tracks, “Lights From The Inside” will no doubt please his fans and solidify Gregor’s status as a first rate techno DJ/producer.

Reg Dancy

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Fresh from the Nordic country is Finnish producer Antti Hynninen amd singer Sara Sayed, better known as Rime. Their debut “Our Kingdom” is a delicious slice of electronic soul filled with soothing vocals, mellow mid-tempo grooves and uplifting lyrics. Hynninen blesses each track with layers of warm melodic keyboards while Sara’s soft feathery touch makes for a perfect combination. There are plenty of highlights to savor here like the wonderful “Smoke And Regret”, filled with soft synth grooves to complement Sara’s sweet vocal phrasings. “Loose Ends” is no less enjoyable, beginning with a wave of gorgeous rhodes and lush strings that provide the canvas for Sara’s soft seductive voice.  “Breal You” is another winner that incorporates the similar ingredients, armed with a slightly up-tempo groove. Overall this is a strong showcase of warm melodic electronic soul music that is consistent throughout. Their concept is simple yet the results shine as bright as a warm summer afternoon. Make no mistake though, this is a quality record for all seasons to savor and enjoy.

Reg Dancy

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The buzz surrounding James Blake started in early 2010 with a simmer before it ascended into a boil. Now with the release of his self-titled debut, the twenty two year old pianist is poised to build on that momentum. Blake’s beautiful compositions are hypnotic melodic textures built over dub step rhythms and thick bass lines. That’s quite evident on the huge down-tempo hit “Limit To Your Love”, with its haunting piano melody and vibrato drum patterns. “The Wilhelm Scream” is another standout that merges blues and electronica while Blake’s falsetto captures the emotion of a lost love. The only problem is his songwriting isn’t his strength and some of the other tracks like “I Never Learnt to Share” leave you feeling like he had more to say but couldn’t quite find the words to say it. That’s not the case on “Why Don’t You Call Me”, a tune that taps into his classical roots and his love of the blues. Blake is certainly onto something by seamlessly fusing dissimilar musical styles together. In addition, his production talents and his voice manipulations make his debut a fascinating listen.

Reg Dancy

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The good people of the Beyond Jazz compilations have a keen ear for soul and jazz music and the forward thinking producers adept at meshing the two together. Their compilations have always provided a window to some of the most progressive recordings on the scene today. “Vol.4” is no exception for it is packed with assortment of eclectic recordings fusing together soul, house and jazz together and moving your body in the process.  The disc kicks off impressively with “Out Of Dark”, a jazz influenced house track augmented by the spirited piano chords mixed by Chris Barker, one half of Deep Space Orchestra. The Dub-In-Vader mix adds yet another to Emanative’s “Space”. I never get enough of the hypnotic bass clarinet from Ben Hadwen that’s featured throughout. Jazz Neversleeps premieres a new tune and it’s worthy of repeated listens. “Live In Maredsous” is masterfully produced with infectious percussion, mesmerizing synths and gorgeous samplings of Betty Carter. “Memories Of Tomorrow” is another winner, an up-tempo future soul gem done proper by Aybee. With many more selections to savor here, “Vol.4” is a must have. For those not familiar with their previous releases, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out those as well.

Reg Dancy

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If you also came for the music then you’ve come to the right place. Boglewaltz is filled with an assortment of delicious broken beat and soulful gems that you’ll be making arrangements to attend their parties ASAP. Did I say parties? That’s because Boglewaltz are known for hosting some fierce parties around the UK attended by top djs and musicians. For those who can’t make it, fear not this lp will be the next best thing to being there. There are many tasty treats among the fifteen tracks to enjoy like the soulful house gem “Just Fine” by SMI. This is a joyful tune thanks in part to the infectious piano melody and the vocals of Shea Soul. More soulful selections include the sultry “In Your Eyes” by Soulpersona that features Sibel Thrasher. Soundspecies delivers the wicked “Balafon Jam”. Sounspecies is comprised of brothers Henry and Oliver Keen and they make use of the Balafon, an African Xylophone that creates a buzzing sound that is irresistible and meshes perfectly with their booming beats. “Soft Rain” is a wonderful down-tempo tune from Embers that merits your attention as well as the soothing “You” from Analog Jones and D’Ablo. Throughout the year you’ll come across many compilations but few will be as impressive as this one. Highly recommended.

Reg Dancy

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If you haven’t had this conversation yet, you will one day explain to your kids or somebody else’s kid that music didn’t always require a drum machine to make beats, or a sample wasn’t necessary to capture the right hook or feature the right voice. The days of lo-fi recordings are from another place in time but when played today you can’t help but get lifted by the raw soul seeping into your veins. It has been a daunting task to bridge the gap from the old to the new but the Space Invadas are more than capable of filling that role. Producer Ashley Anderson, aka Katalyst and vocalist Steve Spacek are on a mission to bring you soul music in its purest form and suffice to say, you’ll gladly come along for the ride. Their debut, “Soul Fi” starts out by transporting you to a time when soul music was the norm and not the exception. Upon arrival, you’re treated to “Imaginist”, a funky track that merges a fierce rhythm guitar groove and lush strings that serves as the canvas for Spacek’s falsetto voice.  “Super Sweet” is another uptempo foot stomper that finds vocalists Fantine and Spacek playfully flirting with one another over a wicked bass groove and drum beat. “Ready Or Not” is an midtempo gem that utilizes The Delfonics sample of the same name that was so successful for the Fugees mid nineties hit. Spacek sprinkles his voice over the rhythm section and transforms the track into his own. On “Way We Feel”, The Space Invadas bring the pace down to a slow burn and create a sultry slow jam reminiscent of Love Unlimited classics. Indeed “Soul Fi” has all the ingredients of a soul classic and would serve as the antidote for any party in need of a funk injection. This is certainly one of the best early full length releases of 2011.

Reg Dancy

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With his third full length release “Voltage Controlled Feelings”, Swedish producer Opolopo has crafted a record that captures the spirit of the boogie and the power of the funk with impressive results. Opolopo’s childhood influences,  ranging from Herbie Hancock, Earth, Wind & Fire to Kraftwerk has figured prominently in all of his recordings. In addition he gained valuable experience as a youth traveling with his Father, a keyboard player himself. One thing I can count on from an Opolopo tune is that his songs, although they’re listed in the dance category are all drenched in the sauce of soul and jazz that makes them stand out from the rest. As the case with previous Opolopo releases, “Voltage Controlled Feelings” contains an array of talented vocalists to add spice to his creative compositions. Among the highlights are “Reversed”, mid-tempo tune with a clever melody and deep bass line that features vocalists Amalia and Blacktop. “Our World featuring Erik Rico” is an electro funk jam with catchy synth arrangements. “Waiting” is an energetic electro dance track with an infectious groove that features Farah on vocals. There are also plenty of tasty treats to cool down to like the mellow madness of “The Singularity” and the laid back soul 0f “Take It Slow” with Sacha Williamson. With so many selections here to enjoy it’s easy to see why the remix services of Opolopo are in high demand. Hopefully he doesn’t spread himself too thin so he can continue to create high quality recordings such as this one that provide immediate satisfaction.

Reg Dancy

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Chances are, if you’re reading this then you’re like many of the World Wide Family members. You rely on taste masters like Gilles Peterson to showcase the hidden gems you would otherwise miss out on. Well Vol.1 of the World Wide family mixtape series provides just that, twenty seven tracks ranging from house to soul to dub step to quench your thirst for progressive new music. Instead of Gilles doing the heavy lifting, the job has been placed in the capable hands of world renowned DJ’s Lefto and Simbad. Lefto compiled the mixup for disc 1and serenades us with a slice of electronica with “Meeting Point” by Damage Is Done. The Brass Roots funky horn cover of Inner City’s “Good Life” was easily one of my favorite singles of 2010.  Not to be outdone, Simbad serves up some equally hot joints on disc 2 with the rhythmic jazz of Afrikan Sciences and Kebbi’s “5 Spot”. Seiji’s “The King” is a tasty house track with wicked drumbeats that ignite instant toe tapping. There are many more tunes that you’ll want to add to your rotation so treat yourself and purchase now. Who knows? By the time you’re done Vol.2 could be on the way. That would be good news indeed.

Reg Dancy

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