New Grooves — LPs  

Brilliant, uncategorizable instrumental sounds from Woo! The group is the 2-man brother band of Mark and Clive Ives – with guitars, clavinet, bass and bits of vocals by Mark – and percussion, violin and electronics by Clive. They follow the trail blazed by Eno and others, fusing acoustic instrumentation with electronic experimentation – but there's really nothing quite like Woo out there! It's original and innovative, but at the same time, very warm and inviting. Definitely cozy, or "cosy", if you prefer! Truly wonderful stuff – especially when you factor in how many underground experimentalists found bigger audiences and greater acclaim later on! Titles include "Into", "The Western", "Water Drum", "Downtown Suburbia", "Upside Down", "Wallpaper", "Purple Pussy", "It's Cosy Inside", "Marion", "Did You See", "Final Card", "No More Telly", "End Of The Attic", "Overhead" and more.

Bebel Gilberto eat your heart out – Antena explored the same electric-bossa territory you did, nearly 20 years before your first big record! The group were a short-lived French outfit who were one of the shining jewels in the crown of the lovely label Les Disques Du Crepuscule during the early 80s – and were a real breath of fresh air in the post-punk years with their light and jazzy approach to the groove. As you'll hear in this set, Antena's style borrows a lot from the bossa, but also throws in some wonderful poppish touches – including jangly guitars recorded in a similar mode to some of the other French/European indie groups of the time, and a slight darkness in production that almost gives a Martin Hannett-like undercurrent to the whole set. The group's album Camino Del Sol has been lovingly reissued with a great set of notes, as well as a series of bonus tracks from an additional ep – making for a beautiful 14 track package that will really help you rediscover this nearly-lost group! Titles include "Sissexa", "To Climb The Cliff", "Camino Del Sol", "Bye Bye Papaye", "Noelle A Hawaii", "The Boy From Ipanema", "Seaside Weekend", "Frantz", and "Ingenuous".

One of the most contemporary sets we've ever heard on the Soundway label – a record that's much more in line with the London base of the label than most of its other global projects! Drumtalk definitely lives up to his name here – working on some hard, raw grooves that are heavy on percussion patterns – not really house or club, but with echoes of the sharper sides of Detroit and London. Most beats are pretty bassy, and mixed with some pretty bass-heavy sounds too – and titles include "Airbourne", "Strata", "Petro", and "Realm".

A great step forward for Gianmarco Liguori – an album that's got a much deeper, more texture-based sound than some of his previous work – almost an experimental ECM mode for the 21st Century! Gianmarco's sound really lives up to the "musical directions" promised on the cover – served up in a heady brew of his own guitars and electronics – with added piano and Fender Rhodes from Murray McNabb, and trumpet and percussion from Kim Paterson – all elements that are used softly, and layered heavily – so that the sounds are often abstracted far from their source – yet still retain all their musicality, and still have a bit of swing as well! Titles include "Indian Milk", "Primitive Nightmare", "Cosmic Protrusion", "Energy Wind", "Path To The Fortress", and "Duga 3".

An album that definitely packs a powerful punch – thanks to a compelling blend of sounds from both London and Kenya, brought together in a whole new formation of African groove! The album's a wicked reworking of an older aesthetic – in a spirit that's similar to the really inventive changes that Tony Allen brought to his music on the Paris scene in the late 90s – but with a fresh, crisp sort of energy that really lives up to the group's placement on the Brownswood label! Electric and acoustic elements are wrapped together beautifully – so that both act very organically in the music – and the vocals work in a similar way – never totally out front, but instead a strong part of this wonderful hybrid. Titles include "Sunken Wrecks", "Owiny Techno", "Norbat Okelo", "Nagalo Ni Piny Odag", "Yukimwi", "All Together", and "Jonny Ra Ha".

A massive bit of blue-eyed soul – recorded on the London scene of the late 90s, but put together with a vibe that takes us back to early 70s LA! The sticker on the front promises links to Steely Dan and Jamiroquai – and the sound of the record definitely lives up to that sound – all the best warm production you'd hear from the best mainstream acts of the 70s, but fitted with a 90s style that's a bit leaner overall – smart enough to appreciate all the best aspects of the older music, yet distanced enough not to get trapped in its cliches! The whole thing's the grooviest set of soft rock we've heard in years – a killer little record that's filled with great hooks, soulful instrumentation, and loads of warm harmonies from the lead duo – on titles that include "Late For The Day", "Lucky Radio", "Valerie", "Whatever I Do", "I Can't Move No Mountains", "Only When I'm With You", and "Soon Comes Another".

A whole new sound for Mark De Clive-Lowe – and a great one too – a completely different approach than any of his other previous records, and one that mixes his core cosmic grooves with a heavy dose of jazz! The set has Mark working with the Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra – who provide bigger band backing to his sweet keyboards and rhythms, making for a wonderful blend of acoustic and electric that almost takes us back to some of the best MPS sessions of this nature in the 70s! Most tracks feature at least one horn solo out from the larger group – and there's no vocals at all on the record, which further gives the whole thing a fresh vibe compared to some of Mark's recent releases. EP features 4 tracks – titles include "Money", "Take The Space Trane", "Caravan", and "Filthy Fingers".