Modern tunes – but with a very classic groovy feel! Of all the Italian efforts to take an older lounge sound and update it for the modern dancefloor, the work of Nicola Conte and the Schema label has been some of the best. This 13 track set offers proof of Conte's genius – and offers up some sparkling groovers all graced with the careful selection you've come to expect from Conte's Fez Studio. Titles include "Meeting With His Majesty" by Theivery Corp, "The Hip Sheik" by The Karminsky Experience, "Funky Bikini" by Ursula 1000, "Arabesque" by Nicola Conte, "Girl On A Mission" by Les Hommes, "Whenever" by Les Gammas, "We Don't Need No Smurfs Here" by Cosmo Vitelli, and "Hi Fi Trumpet" by Stereo Action Unlimited. Very nice – especially if you've enjoyed other Schema modern releases, like Break N Bossa or the Soulstance album! CD

Two groovy groovy tracks! You may recognize "La Coda Del Diavolo" from it's recent use in a TV commercial – or remember it, as we do, from Conte's sublime Jet Sounds album – and it's given a great push here by the Karminsky Brothers, who mix vibes, sound snippets, and flutey vocals together wonderfully! "Missione" is kind of a bossa-Indian number – one that blends together vibes, sitar, and funky beats, all remixed here by Ursula 1000! 12-inch, Vinyl record

The genius of Jerome Richardson – remixed! Richardson's funky flute and searing tenor work have appeared on some of our favorite jazz groove classics – both European and American – and here, two of his tunes are made by Nicola Conte and Panoptikum! Conte uses a host of extra musicians – vibes, piano, alto, and vocals – to expand Richardson's "Way In Blues" with an incredibly groovy and snapping sort of sound. Schema jazz meets the classic MPS groove – with incredible results! Panoptikum go for a more modern approach with "Minor Flute" – snapping the beats a bit more, but still allowing plenty of space for Richardson's wonderful work on flute! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Loads of great percussion here – more than enough to warrant the album's striking cover image – and other instrumentation includes jazzy keyboards and vibes as well! The album's right up there with other recent projects on Japan's Routine label – a mix of older sounds and contemporary club jazz elements – although Aflex Combo features a bit more programming overall, handled by Keisuke Yamazoe, who's sort of the maestro behind the project! There's still plenty of live instrumentation too – the aforementioned vibes, played by Masami Watanabe of The Fascinations – plus piano, sax, keyboards, and even bagpipes on one groovy track. The percussion often seems programmed, but still retains an acoustic, organic quality – further bringing a classic feel to the set – and titles include "Something Blue", "Biliyala", "Intermezzo", "After The Rain", "The Latin Thing (AC Stomp mix)", "Sound Of Feeling", and "Magic Mood". CD

A tasty session of tracks recorded in Brazil, during the Carnival in Rio! The Far Out team took a bunch of legendary Brazilian percussionists into the studio and recorded this album of funky batucada tracks that includes the cuts "Mama Samba", "Ona Leve", and "Percussion Livre". Wilson Das Neves, ex-leader of Os Ipanemas, heads up the group, and other featured players include Mamao, Chacal, and Zezinho. Groovy batucada sounds, with the usual high Far Out quality. (Brazil, New Grooves) CD