Casio Blaster and 99 Mistakes, better known as 1000 Names take you on an adventure in experimental breakbeats and instrumental hip-hop on their full length debut, “Toys Room Combat”. The duo has been a favorite of underground artists for their ability to mash up modern day and futuristic hip-hop beats as well as expanding their wizardry on rare undiscovered grooves. Their inventive producing skills are evident on tracks like the funky hip-hop driven “It started as a remix”. “Cloudride” features the rap duo 215 The freshest Kidz and is one of only four tracks with a guest appearance. Other highlights are “Ant on my bottom” and “Simmer down” which features C Mont. The majority of the cuts are barely exceeding three minutes but the idea is not to settle into one groove for too long. If you’re a fan of Madlib or J Dilla then you’ll certainly enjoy this.

Reg Dancy

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Robert Jan Mayer, the architect behind Minus 8 is well established as a producer of quality drum n bass and down-tempo music. On his latest release, “Slow Motion” he delivers his usual assortment of gorgeous lounge flavored down-tempo grooves but he has also crafted some delicious dance tracks as well. Let’s start with “Letting Go”, where Virag’s blissful vocals are layered with an acoustic guitar strumming that feels like a cool breeze on an autumn afternoon. “Soverato” is a warm and seductive instrumental that is augmented by the sultry saxophone playing. “Enigma of a summer afternoon” is a mellow synthesized mid-tempo groover. Robert has exercised his ability to stretch out into different genres on previous releases with uneven results. Here he does a nice job infusing blissful dance tunes like “Wonderland”, which features Mirian S. “Make your Day” is an 80’s style boogie tune that is delightful and fun. “Hustler” sounds a little out of place here and the vocals are uninspiring but that is the only hiccup here on this otherwise enjoyable record. Overall “Slow Motion” will satisfy long time fans and will make new listeners feel right at home.

Reg Dancy

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There aren’t many notable brass bands to compare the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble to other than the festive party bands in New Orleans but the Hypnotic Brass ensemble isn’t your typical brass band. For starters there roots are steeped in jazz, considering that each of the band’s seven members are sons of jazz trumpeter Phil Cohran, once a member of Sun Ra Arkestra. Clearly the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. Once you add the jazz aesthetic to their hip-hop rhythms you have yourself a collective whose energy is relentless and never lets up. The band drives through tunes like “Alyo”, complete with a tight rhythm section and a synergy among the horn players not often heard. On “Ballicki Bone” they bring down the tempo and create a soulful mid-tempo groove. “Jupiter” is a mellow number where the trumpet player and trombonist trade phrases with each other. The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble have succeeded in creating compositions that are rousing and engaging. You won’t find many records this year with a band performing as well as this.

Reg Dancy

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There has been an avalanche of amazing Brazilian music this year and with the BBE release of “Future Sounds of Brazil ”, the heat continues. This sparkling compilation has enlisted some of Brazil’s hottest Dj’s like DJ Marky, Gui Boratto, Anderson Noise and much more. Renato Cohen. Everyone on board brings the heat while supplying their unique blend of mixing and arranging. For instance there’s the pulsating house track “Hossomaki” from Kids from Japan that starts off the disc. Marcelinho’s “Oceano” is an infectious slice of techno house. No else does it quite like DJ Marky and the track “Days go slow”, he’s joined by S.P.Y. to create a blissful high octane broken beat gem. Bulldozer Media has been instrumental in expanding the landscape for the enomous amount of new Brazilian grooves. Future Sounds of Brazil is evidence of that and sure to put a charge into any party. This is yet another example of the progressive rhythms flowing from South America and I’m loving every minute of it. Rest assured that you will too.

Reg Dancy

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A veteran on the UK scene for over fifteen years, DJ Devastate has been a student as well as a pioneer in the hip-hop game. Devastate has followed the likes of Marly Marl, DJ Premier and Pete Rock and in the process cultivated his own sound. With his debut, Devastate has created a laidback hip-hop gem with jazzy rhythms that would make followers of the native tongues period proud. The entire disc takes you back to a time when all was well in the world of hip-hop. It’s clear that Devastate has been sharpening his production skills during his hiatus because the compositions throughout are flawless. With no mc’s on board, “Movement-Silence” is comprised sunny instrumental beat gems combined with well placed sampling. Some of the highlights include “The Motion”, a funky track with a wicked kick snare drum beat. “Don’t Sop” is a jazzy number that features a popular Common sample. “Taken it slow” is a hazy mid-tempo banger that has a simple beat but provides the right amount of samples and catchy hooks to make it shine. Kudos to DJ Devastate for crafting a soulful hip-hop treat you can chill to. While he doesn’t break any new ground here his attention to detail towards crafting quality beats will force you to add this to your cd rotation.

Reg Dancy

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BBE strikes again with 12 inches of pleasure, the compilation featuring previously unreleased remixed vinyl records that you probably wanted but was unable to get before now. The third installment in this series is a diverse collection that includes some soulful grooves and blazing house tracks that are certain to move your feet and lift your spirits. The disc jumps off with Nick Van Gelder’s “Brighter Star”, an organic jazz flavored soulful beauty that features the underrated Marcia Arnold on vocals. J-Live comes out fired up on the Katalyst track “Killing Ya Self”. In addition to that we have the Abicah Soul remix of ultra talented percussionist Luisito Quintero’s “Music for Gong Gong”. Roy Ayers “Brand New Feeling” continues to receive new life after sitting in the vaults for almost twenty years. It re-emerged on the BBE Ubiquity Remixed album a few years ago and has become a favorite of many ever since. The sting international controversy mix transforms what was a sexy seductive slow burner into a percolating house track. It can’t be overstated the tremendous work that BBE has done in reviving not only the obscure 12” vinyl but the other compilations released this year as well. Don’t sleep, you’re going to really enjoy this one.

Reg Dancy

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If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of the rare groove sounds don’t despair, BBE records have come to your rescue with “Strange Breaks & Mr Thing”. Mr Thing is known for spicing up the crowds with his infectious blend of hip-hop, soul and funk so you should expect nothing less here. While most of these gems will probably be unfamiliar to you, that won’t stop you from moving and grooving along with each track. Selections like “Searching” by Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers will get your body revved up. If you’re familiar with The Meters, then you’ll no doubt enjoy this one. Other notables include “Love is just a word” by Johnny Griffith, Inc, which has that soulful orchestrated sound reminiscent of the Love unlimited Orchestra so you know that’s gonna be hot. As I continued my spins through the disc, I immediately smiled when I listened to “You made a believer (Out of me)” by Ruby Andrews. This track was sampled by Q-Tip on The Renaissance and was one of my favorite songs on that disc. No wonder, the soulful vocals by Ms Andrews and the thumping bassline makes it funky enough to stand on its own. There are a couple of covers like The Jacksons “ABC” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “It’s a family affair” that are just okay. The Jimmy Castor cover of “It’s just begun” by The Hot city Bump band is much better. There is little else however to diminish the overall quality of material featured here and is certainly worth checking out. As long as we have DJ’s like Mr Thing digging in their crates, the rare groves and funky breaks will always stir up those good vibes and have us heading towards the closet for our dancing shoes.

Reg Dancy

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We all know that Gilles Peterson loves all flavors of music but it seems as though he has a special place in his heart for the wonderful music pouring out of Brazil. His latest “Brazilika” is the latest release that focuses on the sounds of Brazil and he has assembled a impressive list of heavy hitters young and old. There are twenty three tracks here including five unreleased tracks. The disc plays out as a continuous mix and moves along at a crisp pace but what matters most is that you’re treated to seventy three minutes of scintillating heart pumping music. There are many standouts including “Os Escravos Do Jo” by Friends from Rio 2 feat. Celia Vaz. “Canto Pre Oxum” is a lovely samba by The Ipanemas. “Chegada” is a gentle peaceful acoustic song by Joyce, Nana Vasconcelos, Mauri. If that wasn’t enough, there are several notable remixes such as world renowned DJ/producer Osunlade’s rework of Na Batida Do Agogo’s “Grupo Batuque”. Arthur Verocai’s “Tudo Do Bom” receives an alternate take courtesy of DJ/producer Domu. Of course we can’t have an A list of Brazil’s musical all stars and not include Azymuth. Band leader Alex Malheiros appears with the band on “Depois Do Carnival” and once again with his daughter Sabrina on “Uno Esta”. Once again Gilles doesn’t disappoint with his compilations and this one is no exception. “Brazilika” is a terrific record that provides a sample of the burgeoning talent of musicians on the Far Out recordings roster. Be prepared to serve your musical palette to a healthy serving of some of the finest music Brazil has to offer.

Reg Dancy

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The saxophone is arguably the most seductive instrument there is. The level of tonality and harmonies that the elite musicians create can captivate you unlike any other instrument. It certainly helps when you’re creating spirited music like Nat Birchall is doing on his release “Akhenaten”. Nat has been around for many years, thirty to be exact yet this is his first release as a leader since 1999’s “The Sixth Sense”. He has kept busy by working in Matthew Halsall’s groups as well as Arun Ghosh’s jazz ensemble. That’s a shame because “Akhenaten” is a deep spiritual session that will endear itself to all lovers of post bop jazz. It’s clear that Nat has been inspired by the likes of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, his compositions feature a high degree of passion and sensuality and his solos can exceed long stretches. The disc starts out with “Mica’s Dance”, a haunting blues tune with a lovely melody and simple chords that the quartet elevates to greater heights. “A Prayer for…” speaks for itself, a moving gospel inspired tune that will send chills down your spine. “Many Blessings” is a beautiful ballad that finds Nat blowing passionately while pianist Adam Fairhall’s solos are majestic. What a wonderful record Nat has created here. With only four tracks listed here, let’s hope there’s another recording coming soon. For any jazz aficionado, this would be a welcome addition for your collection.

Reg Dancy

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One can only imagine the wealth of Cuban recordings that have been isolated from the rest of the world but thanks to Australian DJ and Cuban record collector Tom Wieland we now have a window to what lies within that rich musical culture. “Revolucion!” contains 12 hip shaking funky grooves known as Los Van Van that represent post revolutionary Cuban music. Los Van Van was created by bass player Juan Formell and it is known as fusing pre Castro charanga with soul and funk and the mixture is highly combustible to one’s nervous system. Translated, you’ll find it very difficult not to move your feet and shimying your hips. “Recital En Descarga” is bursting with lively percussion, funky horns and simple but enchanting chords. “Cuando Liego a Mi Casa” starts out with Juan formell’s killer bass riff, creating plenty of space for the congas and the lush string section. “Baila Guiro son Wambari” is a high octane dance floor filler that will have you breaking out in a sweat long before the song’s conclusion. With quality recordings such as these, one wonders how many other gems Juan composed that are buried in the vaults. Until we find out, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to some of the finest music you never heard of before. You won’t soon forget it.

Reg Dancy

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