Really cool cuts from the contemporary scene in northeast Ghana – music that effortlessly mixes classic sounds and styles with more modern innovations – but all with a raw, crisp energy that's very far from commercial! This isn't the world music of public radio – and instead, the tracks here are the sorts you might hear blasting out of car radios or bluetooth speakers late into the night – lean, percussion heavy, and done with a mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation, live vocals and samples – borrowing some key elements from hip hop production at times, yet serving up a sound that's uniquely homegrown! The collection is great – one of those ear-opening gems that comes along once in awhile – and titles include "Tu Daana" by Sammy, "Zoom Koom" by FCL, "Mam Dola Yine" by Joseph, "Guys Boys" by Designer, "Agana Sela Tufu Malla" by Ramond, "Life Is A Mission" by Prince Buju, "Guru Anowuu" by Fadester, and "9090" by Awudu. (Global Grooves, New Grooves) CD

There's never been a better bit of throwback dancefloor fodder ever! Sure, these guys were blaring out of every cheap radio at the time, and it was just about impossible to walk into a shopping mall without hearing "Groove Is In The Heart" for about 5 years after the album came out – but to us, that was a great thing, and the record represents one of the high points in pop music of the past few decades. Thanks to some skillful sampling by Towa Tei, the group were grounded in a rich history of funk, house, disco, soul, and Brazilian influences – all of which they managed to blend with a postmodern perfection that other groups could only ever dream of! The big hits are certainly very familiar, but the whole album's a delight – and tracks include "Who Was That?", "Smile On", "Try Me On . . . I'm Very You", "World Clique", "ESP", and "Good Beat". This great expanded 2CD edition includes a full CD of remixes, too – 26 tracks in 2CDs! Given that the weird mixes and extrapolations of tunes by the group were such a big part of their larger sound, the extra material really helps get a full picture of the album's greatness! (Soul, New Grooves) CD

There's a slight 8-bit look to the cover image here, and that also follows through in some of the music too – a nice shift from the previous album from this wonderfully enigmatic singer – an artist who's got a very fresh vision for the future of soul! The tunes are catchy, and often have bassy and keyboard bits that keep them moving – yet not in a retro 80s mode, as there's all this cool production and processing – especially used on Skinny's vocals, which have a moody presence they didn't have the last time around! Titles include "Like A Heart Won't Beat", "Oh Silly George", "Deadman Deadman Deadman", "Don't Be Another", "Hardly The Same Snake", and "Secret Hiding Place". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) CD

A mad bit of funk from the great Pete Rock! Pete's easily one of the best hip hop producers of the past decade – and this album's a sublime batch of instrumental tracks that focuses on his talent for remaking an older groove. The set's one of the first on BBE's groundbreaking Beat Generation label – and it's an important blend of downtempo grooves, hip hop, and classic styles of funk! A great listen all the way through – and with tracks that include "A Little Soul", "Cake", "The Boss", "Pete's Jazz", "Smooth Sailing", "Something Funky", and "Back On The Block". (Hip Hop, New Grooves) CD

Alex Attias has always given us some really creative sounds in his own music – so we've got some mighty high expectations when he brings together a selection of tracks by other artists for BBE! Fortunately, the record not only lives up to those expectations, but does them one better – by opening us up to some overlooked contemporary cuts that all have the cosmic touches of Attias' work on the London scene – then interweaving them with some older tracks that resonate even more strongly in the territory! There's some wonderful work from recent years that show just how far the best side of the broken beat legacy has evolved – and other older cuts have a cosmic vibe that's plenty righteous too, with some great jazzy currents that really deepen the vibe of the collection. Titles include "Midnight Magic" by Cro Magnon with Roy Ayers, "My Dream Came True" by Root Soul, "Cascade" by Tatham Mensah Lord & Ranks, "Do The Dance" by Grooveman Spot, "Over & Over" by Material with Nona Hendryx, "Curiosity (Zanzibar rmx)" by Nicole Willis, "Could You Be Me (Theo's SS translation)" by Kathy Kosins & Paul Randolph, "Earth Overshoot Day (Hugo LX rmx)" by Cotonete, "Party Hardy (Alex Attias edit)" by Velvet Hammer, "Her Boyfriend Assesses His Value & Pleads His Case" by Kip Hanrahan, and "It's You (disco alert mix)" by Sunaga T Experience. CD