Love this, there’s a nice raw feel to the production so the music and songs can shine centre stage and they do superbly. The feel is folk meets singer songwriter meets subtle rock but it’s the songs and their delivery (Roddy Womble takes most lead vocals) that make this enchanting and moreish. Guests include Norman Blake and Francis MacDonald of Teenage Fanclub, Philip Selway of Radiohead, Heidi Talbot, Donald Shaw of Capercaille, Andy Cutting (BBC folk musician of the year) and Michael McGoldrick. Have a listen to ‘Into The Blue’ or ‘Moments Last Forever’ – magic.

Graham Radley

Terrific one man blues band who is a fine singer, guitarist and blues harpist. He’s not against inviting some classy friends to join him either including David Bromberg and Mike Katz with my pick going to to his take on Rory Gallagher’s ‘Going To My Home town’ joined by Brian Miller on mandolin. Great stuff.

Graham Radley

A celebration of 50 years of bossa nova, this 14 track compilation has a well rounded selection with Elis Regina, Carlos Lyra and Joao Donato among the artists helping to flex those limbs. Nostalgia for all the right reasons.

Graham Radley

15 tracks across the board from the opening track of Jesus Pagan y su Orquesta’s salsa dura to the salsa meets rap and reggaeton of Magic Juan feat. Puerto Rican Power, plenty more keeping the party flowing including Los De Abajo, Sidestepper, Ricardo Lemvo and a great take on Bill Withers ‘Use Me’ by Alex Wilson feat. Lauren Dalrymple. Great.

Graham Radley

Great mix of artists on this collection with Jamal Porto and Rasha from the Sudan, Les Orientales, Souad Massi and Maurice El Medioni from Algeria, Zaman from Palestine, Zein Al-Jundi from Syria, Charbel Rouhana and Hani Siblini from Lebanon, Mousto Largo from Morocco and Tiris from Western Sahara. Superb traditional music, highly recommended.

Graham Radley

Soundtrack to the film Tropa De Elite (Elite Squad) composed by Pedro Bromfman. The film tells the story of two childhood friends who decide to join Rio de Janeiro’s Military Police Department and in turn they then try out for a Special Operations Squad whose mission is to take down the drug-lords that plague the city. The music reflects this urban scenario with a mix that features MC Junior, MC Leonardo, Bateria da Rocinha, Barbatuques and styles that range from ambient to thrash punk. Excellent.

Graham Radley

Nathaniel Pearl, the man also known as Natural Self caught our attention with the Broken Keys project he collaborated with Ben Lamdin (Nostalgia 77). On “The Art Of Vibration” he delivers once again with pulsating 60’s funk rhythms and 70’s break beats that evokes memories of the early hip-hop b-boy era. I definitely had a hip-hop flashback when I heard “Welcome To The Ascension”. The heavy percussion, the slick string rrangements and the well placed sampling make me wish that this track was much longer than three minutes. This is followed up with “The Rising”, this track has an afrobeat vibe and is layered with a chanting chorus and funky horns. An added bonus is the wonderful Antreya Triana on vocals. “Breathe Deep” is classic old school hip-hop. A simple mid tempo drumbeat with slick horn riffs serve as the perfect backdrop for MC Abdominal to spit over. “The Laws Of Motion” is a funky instrumental jam with sparse trumpet riffs and spacey chords. One thing is certain, Natural Self has beats galore and knows how to make funky grooves. “The Art Of Vibration” is a rewarding listening experience and further proof of his immense talents.

Reg Dancy

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Belleruche serves up blues tinged soul with a touch of hip-hop for good measure. The trio builds on their warm soulful grooves that made their debut “Turntable Soul” such a success. On their latest release “The Express” vocalist Kathrin Deboer’s smooth smokey vocals complement Ricky Fabulous harmonic rhythm guitar playing. The disc starts off with the infectious “Anything You Want”. DJ Modest provides well placed sampling and electronic beats while Kathrin provides warmth to the mid-tempo soul track. “Goose Blues” has a traditional blues flavor that takes you back to the back roads of the Mississippi Delta. “Scratch My Soul” is a slow burning soul gem where Kathrin conveys enough passion to warm the coldest heart through the depth of her lyrics. “The Express” is a satisfying collection of soul and blues reminiscent of those dusty vinyl records buried in your parents basement. The production, arrangements and the trio’s diverse talents contribute to an eclectic musical experience that you shouldn’t miss.

Reg Dancy

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This New Zealand based group returns with their fourth album, and quite possibly their best. That’s saying a lot considering they already have one gold album and two double platinum albums to their credit. With Solid Ground the growth of this soul funk dub step band is evidenced by the precision like live instrumentation that is heard through the entire disk. On “Love Is A Radiation“, Baranaby Weir’s smooth vocals add warmth to this traditional reggae track. With “Make A Move”, the band adds a little funk, along with some nice horn arrangements as well. There’s also a nice dub remix for this track as a bonus. Overall, “Solid Ground” provides plenty of soulful, funky, reggae flavored gems and The Black Seeds prove that they can play any of these styles very well. This is another enjoyable record by a talented group that continues to get better.

Reg Dancy

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Hailed as the number one soul producer of Russia, Valique lives up his reputation by delivering a collection of soaring post disco dance tracks. Valique lays down the rhythm throughout with funky bass lines and lively percussions. This is evident on tracks like “Wine Or Vinegar” which features nice string and horn arrangements. “Scream For Daddy”, is laced with clever keyboard riffs. All but two songs here are instrumentals but those are highlights as well. “Where’s The Love” features Fanny Franklin of the funk band Orgone and “Out Of My Head” featuring Sofi Ocran are equally satisfying. Valique has already provided quality deep house and jungle tracks in the past. With R.A.W., he proves that he’s adept at creating quality dance music as well.

Reg Dancy

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