New Grooves — All Formats  

The second volume in this strangely named compilation series – and like the first, a nice collection of underground grooves from a variety of labels! The styles are a mix of downtempo, exotic themes, and some uptempo soulful groovers – with plenty of tracks that criss-cross the London and German scenes. Titles include "Hymn To The Sun" by Anjali, "So Blue It's Black (Heavy Manners mix)" by Underwolves, "Slow Hot Wind" by Block 16, "I Have Seen" by Zero 7, "Get Misunderstood" by Troublemakers, "Family & Friends" by Gator, "RFO" by Fug, "Oh So Dear" by Fellman & Louise, "Unconditional" by Jacksoul, "Western Wind (lo-beat rmx)" by Sidsel Endressen, "Feelin Me Feelin You" by Waiwan feat Loretta Heywood, "French Letter" by J-Walk, "Pabadam" by Yonderboi, and "Eple" by Royksopp.

The groovy French pop of Serge Gainsbourg gets the remix treatment! After years of being sampled by hip hoppers, referenced by post-rockers, and claimed as an influence by a wide range of singers and instrumentalists – Serge Gainsbourg's finally breaking into the mainstream of modern music with this tasty batch of remixes from some of Europe's best producers. Of course, ol' Serge is probably rolling over in his grave at the thought of the project – but from our end of things, the whole thing sounds pretty groovy! Titles include "La Bas C'est Natural" remixed by Faze Action, "Ballade De Melody Nelson" remixed by Howie B, "Bonnie & Clyde" remixed by Herbert, "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" remixed by Dzihan & Kamien, "Requiem Pour Un Con" remixed by The Orb, "Marabout" remixed by Bob Sinclair, and "Lola Rastaquouere" remixed by Chateau Flight.

The sun shines brightly on Mario Biondi – really making this record sparkle with a charm that goes way beyond Mario's previous albums – a quality that's less retro than before, and which shows Biondi as a growing soul star with really universal appeal! There's still some of the old school jazz in the mix that we love from Mario's Schema work – but the album's also got a fuller production style at times, one that really expands the palette of Biondi's colors, and which has him working here with help from key guests who include Omar, Leon Ware, Al Jarreau, Incognito, and Chaka Khan – and even a bit of organ from the James Taylor Quartet! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick helped co-write a good number of tracks on the set – and titles include "Shine On", "Come To Me", "Woman Woman", "What Have You Done To Me", "Never Stop", "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Idea", "Girl Blue", "Light To The World", and "Catch The Sunrise".

8 stunning groovers from London's Bitasweet Records – part of the NuSoul underground led by IG Culture and Phil Asher, both of whom contribute work to the set, along with G Force, Afro Force, and New Sector Movements. Titles include "Thrill Seeker" by Dub Basement, "Locust" by 12 Bit Rephugeez, "Goza (dub)" by Afro Force, "Universal Music" by BB Boogie, "The Mind (the mind rub)" by Da One Away, "My History (raw dub)" by New Sector Movements, and "Pleasure Ride" by Blacktonez. Lots of material exclusive to the set, too!

Japan's Globe Trotter crew hits the Munich scene – and comes back with a tasty little package of tracks from Compost Records! The set's a Japanese-only one, and features some really wonderful tunes from Compost – one of the best underground labels currently in business. Titles include "Snowblind (Zimpala rmx)" by Minus 8, "Different Place (Universal Funk rmx)" by Daniel Magg, "Lady Luck (Misa Negra rmx)" by Victor Davies, "Futuristic (Grand Unified House Not House rmx)" by Joseph Malik, "Light" by Wei Chi, "The Empiricist" by Ben Mono, "Universal Love" by Truby Trio with Marcus Begg, and "Let It Go (Rima house mix)" by Rima with Julie Dexter.

The sun shines brightly on Mario Biondi – really making this record sparkle with a charm that goes way beyond Mario's previous albums – a quality that's less retro than before, and which shows Biondi as a growing soul star with really universal appeal! There's still some of the old school jazz in the mix that we love from Mario's Schema work – but the album's also got a fuller production style at times, one that really expands the palette of Biondi's colors, and which has him working here with help from key guests who include Omar, Leon Ware, Al Jarreau, Incognito, and Chaka Khan – and even a bit of organ from the James Taylor Quartet! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick helped co-write a good number of tracks on the set – and titles include "Shine On", "Come To Me", "Woman Woman", "What Have You Done To Me", "Never Stop", "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Idea", "Girl Blue", "Light To The World", and "Catch The Sunrise". CD has a great package – hardcover book-style, with pages inside!

The sun shines brightly on Mario Biondi – really making this record sparkle with a charm that goes way beyond Mario's previous albums – a quality that's less retro than before, and which shows Biondi as a growing soul star with really universal appeal! There's still some of the old school jazz in the mix that we love from Mario's Schema work – but the album's also got a fuller production style at times, one that really expands the palette of Biondi's colors, and which has him working here with help from key guests who include Omar, Leon Ware, Al Jarreau, Incognito, and Chaka Khan – and even a bit of organ from the James Taylor Quartet! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick helped co-write a good number of tracks on the set – and titles include "Shine On", "Come To Me", "Woman Woman", "What Have You Done To Me", "Never Stop", "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Idea", "Girl Blue", "Light To The World", and "Catch The Sunrise". CD has a great package – hardcover book-style, with pages inside!