A rare early session from vibist Khan Jamal – recorded with his Philly-based Creative Arts Ensemble collective! The group follows strongly in the spirit of similar combos from Chicago and St Louis – particularly the latter – and Jamal's group is working here in a mode that's initiated by the original sonic experiments of the AACM, but taken to deeper, more organic levels. Given Khan's later work, the thing that's most surprising here is the sound texture of the record – because although seemingly improvised, there's also a greater feel towards a whole here – a spacey, ethereal quality that reminds us of some of Sun Ra's most creative moments. Jamal plays vibes, marimba, and clarinet – and the rest of the group includes Monette Sudler on guitar and percussion, Alex Ellison on drums, Dwight James on drums and clarinet, and Billy Mills on both electric and acoustic bass. Although not overly electric, there's a shimmering quality to the music here – as if the production abstracted the original acoustic sound with weird echo and other techniques! Titles include "Inner Peace", "Drum Dance", "Cosmic Echoes", and "Breath Of Life". LP, Vinyl record album

The lost legacy of a Twin Cities group who gave the world two great singles back in the day – but also left behind a lot of other excellent material that never saw the light of day! Joker's Wild sound a lot like you might guess from their look on the cover – psychedelic, but down to earth too – that smaller city vibe from a point when garage rock groups were learning how to really play their instruments, write great songs, and expand their sound with a better understanding of the studio – all of which really marks the work on this set! The lineup is lean, and the sound is nice and raw throughout, but surprisingly tuneful too, thanks to strong production – and titles include rare singles "All I See Is You" and "Echo" – plus "Copper Penny", "Good Time", "Hard Road", "I See You", "Stranger", "Witch", "That Man's Not You", "River", "Dissatisfied", "American Dream", "Peace Man", "Park Music", and "Have You Ever Loved Somebody". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 70s genius from Leon Keita, a Mandingue musician who only recorded a few albums on the scene in Mali, but really helped transform the music at the time! There's an evolution of older modes here that's great – never forced, but this kind of gentle nudge into more complexity in both the rhythms and the guitar lines – sometimes with these uplifting qualities that almost seem to echo South African jazz, but with more of the cyclical progressions that you'd expect from Keita's scene. The organ and keyboard lines are especially great, sometimes almost otherworldly – and titles include "Dalaka"," Gnanassouma", "Daka Sate Korotoumi", "Diarabi Mana", and "Ifarana". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky combo, but one with a real difference – as they seem to find whole new corners of the globe in which to work their magic – almost an imagined space of cultural criss-crossing, all set to some mighty funky bass and drums! The core element here is the guitar – which echoes exotic modes that seem to move from Mexican folk, to contemporary Tuareg sounds, and even a bit of southwest guitar instrumental echo – but all in ways that are very fresh and different, and which also sound quite unusual compared to the usual use of guitar in a funky combo! There's a bit of vocals on the album, but really the guitar is the main "voice" – and one that speaks volumes – on titles that include "Lady & Man", "Como Te Quiero", "Shades Of Man", "Maria Tambien", "Como Me Quieres", "A Hymn", and "Rules". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful large concept work from UK saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi – one that features a rich array of players, all folded together in a warmly spiritual sound! There's echoes of some of the other mellow work on the International Anthem label here, but also more of the righteous currents of artists on the Gondwana label – all pushed even farther into more sophisticated territory with the larger arrangements in the music – which echo a Charles Stepney sort of majesty! Kinoshi leads the group on alto sax, and the lineup features trumpets, tenor, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, and drums – mixed with light strings, and even some flute and turntables too. The album's one long work that progressed beautifully in six parts – and is completed by another live recording from Total Refreshment Centre, "Smoke In The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful large concept work from UK saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi – one that features a rich array of players, all folded together in a warmly spiritual sound! There's echoes of some of the other mellow work on the International Anthem label here, but also more of the righteous currents of artists on the Gondwana label – all pushed even farther into more sophisticated territory with the larger arrangements in the music – which echo a Charles Stepney sort of majesty! Kinoshi leads the group on alto sax, and the lineup features trumpets, tenor, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, and drums – mixed with light strings, and even some flute and turntables too. The album's one long work that progressed beautifully in six parts – and is completed by another live recording from Total Refreshment Centre, "Smoke In The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

An early 70s soundtrack from the great Andrzej Korzynski – and one that's as devilish as you might expect from the title! The music is much heavier than any of Korzynski's later work – psychedelic, but bordering on industrial – as there's lots of fuzzy guitar, but often distorted with effects and echo – at a level that, were it recorded more poorly, would be right at home on some early Throbbing Gristle album! There's lots of other cool percussion and effects too – noisy, dark, and completely horrific – at a level that makes so many other horror soundtracks sound like childhood melodies. Titles include "Broken Boudoir", "Theador & The Rifles", "Mother", "Daughter Of The Sin", "Understand Nothing", "The Duel", "Mother Snake", "Cancel The Evil Gently", "The Black Dog", and "War Torn Wasteland". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of new sounds on the New York scene of the 60s – an important early recording that features the team of Prince Lasha on flute and Sonny Simmons on alto – with great contributions from Don Cherry on trumpet and Clifford Jordan on tenor! The work is some of Jordan's most spiritual for the time – and the long tracks on the album spin out with a vibe that's looser and freer than some of the other Lasha/Simmons material of the period – almost with an echo of the loft jazz generation to come, but with more of the rhythmic focus of the work in Jordan's Dolphy Series recordings. Other musicians include Fred Lyman on flugelhorn, Charles Moffett on drums, and both Orville Harrison and Bill Wood on bass – and titles include "Lost Generation", "The Trane", and "Prelude To Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

A wickedly cool small combo set from the 60s – featuring reedman John Lemon, who blows both tenor and flute, plus a bit of alto as well – in a combo with Jimmy Scott on organ, Ernest McLean on guitar, and Bobby Brooks on drums! The set's got a great soul jazz vibe – like a Prestige Records session, but produced with a bit more echo – and titles include the originals "Yes Baby", "Chilly Willie", and "Big Mamma" – plus versions of "Watermelon Man" and "Cute". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic fuzz from a French Canadian combo of the 60s – one of the coolest garage bands we've ever heard from up north at the time, romping here with a style that's equal parts Sunset Strip and some of the hipper Parisian groups of the time! Lyrics are all in French, and the production has this nice sense of darkness that makes echo out of the organ lines, jangly guitar, and nice touches of fuzz – all flowing together with a style that sounds plenty magic all the way through, even if you can't always understand the lyrics. Some of the guys in the group were still teens at the time of recording, which you can hear in the youthful energy of the songs – and titles include "Je T'Aime", "Abandonne", "La Solitude", "Seul Sur Terre", "Je Ne Veux Plus", "Aimes Proudemment", and "Soyons Differents". LP, Vinyl record album

Soulful sounds from 70s Chile – and a record that easily rivals some of the best acoustic work from the post-Tropicalia generation in Brazil! Manduka's got a heady sound that's very much in keeping with his image on the cover – a freer sort of approach to the music than the decade before – with these long-flowing tracks that intertwine folksy elements and regional touches, but always with some slight undercurrent of jazz – almost at a level that rivals the acid folk of the UK scene of the same time, but with a definite deeper South American vibe. The vocals are sublime – extremely haunting, even beyong the boundary of language – and often recorded with some echo around them and the guitar, in a manner that recalls some of the best Geraldo Vandre material. Instrumentation includes some light backing on flute, bongos, acoustic guitar, and harmonica – often used in a gentle, watery sort of way. Completely sublime – one of those lost global gems you'll treasure for years – with titles that include "Entra Y Sale", "Naranjita", "Oiticumana", "De Un Extranjero", "Brasil 1500", and "Patria Amada Idolarada Salve Salve". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just jazz from the Northwest, as the set also features some California material too – brought together in this great double-length set of unissued material from this legendary jazz drummer! The set begins with Shelly Manne leading a quintet at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1958 – playing both a more conceptual piece, and some looser jazz numbers – with work from Herb Geller on alto, Russ Freeman on piano, Stu Williamson on trumpet, and Monty Budwig on bass – a group who echo some of Shelly's work on Contemporary in the mid 50s – on the titles "Quartet – Suite In Four Movements", "Stop Look & Listen", and "The Vamp's Blues". The second half features material from that great 60s stretch when Manne was getting looser and really letting his groups open up – as on the classic Blackhawk recordings – especially great here as the combo features excellent flute and alto from the young Frank Strozier, next to Conte Candoli on trumpet, Hampton Hawes on piano, and Budwig on bass – all recorded live in Seattle in 1966. Ruth Price provides vocals on the two short tracks "Dearly Beloved" and "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" – but the long tracks are instrumentals, and the best – and include "Funny", "Secret Love", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

Possibly the greatest album ever from the enigmatic Lloyd Miller – his legendary Oriental Jazz album from the late 60s, and a really wonderful blend of musical modes! Some of the tracks here really stretch out in the Eastern promise of the title – mixing jazz rhythms with santur, oud, zarb, and other unusual instrumentation – all in ways that are modal one minute, meditative the next, and which even echo gamelan styles on one tune! Other tracks are a bit straighter in the instrumentation, but still sparkle with a globe's worth of influence – Lloyd on piano, carving out sounds in a very unusual way! Some tracks are by Miller's trio, other by a quartet that features him, but which is led by pianist/trombonist Press Keys. Titles include "Hue Wail", "Pentalogic", "Tanya", "Natanie", "Guzel Gozler", "Prelude In The Iranian Mode Shur", "Impression Of Bhairava Raga", and "Njonja Mirah & Yona". Some of these tracks have appeared on Millers Oriental Jazz CD compilation – but others haven't – and this is his reissue of the full original album! LP, Vinyl record album

A wild little record from the Korean scene of the 70s – served up by a band of boys (and one gal), but not the sort of boy band that you'd hear in contemporary K-Pop! Instead, there's a heady, growling sort of groove to the whole record – not entirely hard rock, but touched with an understanding of that mode, which is then carried out in varied ways that really make the most of the dramatic vocals in Korean! Lyrics are sometimes very bold, sometime sweeter – and the instrumentation has fuzzy guitars and organ lines that echo some of the Japanese modes of the late 60s, but with some slightly different phrasing. All titles are in Korean, as are the lyrics – but there's a very groovy, universal sort of appeal to the set! LP, Vinyl record album

Heady sounds from Mushroom – a surprisingly long-running act who've been giving the world a great blend of funk and prog for decades! These guys hail from the Bay Area, and have clearly drunk deep of that location's legendary music scene – yet they also sometimes echo the soulful side of Can as well – spinning out long tracks with plenty of grooves, and lots of cool instrumental touches on flute, sax, vibes, and gongs! Matt Cunitz produced the record, and serves up some mighty cool keyboards – Fender Rhodes, Hammond, Clavinet, Moog, and more – on titles that include "Marc Moved To Buffalo", "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities", "Looking For Adventure", "One Ton Anvil", and "Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from Nico – easily one of her most haunting albums ever, and a huge step forward even from the sublime Chelsea Girl record! John Cale produced and arranged the album, and plays some extra-spooky harmonium throughout – an instrument that's got the same low, dead tones as Nico's vocals – which makes for a wonderfully haunting blend! Parts of the record echo the minimal explorations that Cale did with Terry Riley, but in a different way – with heroin definitely playing strongly as part of the aesthetic. The album's a gem through and through – definitely one of the few crucial solo works from Nico – and titles include "My Only Child", "All That Is My Own", "Afraid", "Janitor Of Lunacy", and "Abschied". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare Italian horror work done by Franco Piersanti – done for a creepy film, as you might guess from the cover – but one that's scored by Piersanti with a surprising degree of sensitivity, and some very rich orchestrations that are very different than the stark, more electric modes being used in so much of 80s horror! There's some really beautiful woodwinds in the music, and some darker strings that echo 70s atonality from Morricone – on titles that include "Labirinto", "Omicidio", "Radio Jazz", "Budapest", and "Illusioni Ottiche". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked work on vibes from this fantastic Italian musician – a player who really seems to lean into the more subtle, sensitive qualities of his instrument – to come up with this overlooked set of genius that's filled with great sounds throughout! Enzo's vibes are blended beautifully with the electric piano of Riccardo Randisi, so that the two instruments often echo each other, and ring out with these beautiful tones that remind us again why the combination of Fender Rhodes and vibes might well be one of the greatest sounds on the planet! The group also features guitar, bass, drums, and congas – the last of which complicate the rhythms in nice ways, and bring in cool grooves even in the more laidback moments. All tracks are nice and long, and titles include "Probu Zeni", "Etna Sud", "Windows", and "Palma". LP, Vinyl record album

The brilliant solo debut of Martin Rev – a set that feels like it's peeled away all his best contributions from the first Suicide album, then found a way to serve them up with a slightly different vibe that really sets the album apart! There's lots of analog fuzz and echo – that same spacey style that made Suicide so great – but the keyboards dominate even more than before, as only one tune features vocals – which lets Rev do all these really cool things with the electronics – continuing his way of taking earlier prog, avant, and Krautrock experiments and fusing them into a leaner, meaner style for the punk generation! The album's got a very seminal sound – a key text in the cold wave generation – and titles include "Jomo", "Mari", "Baby O Baby", "Nineteen 86", and "Asia". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued material from the legendary Arthur Russell – a set of tracks that's maybe closest in spirit to his groundbreaking World Of Echo album – as it blends together voice, cello, effects, and plenty of the echo promised in the title – all with a style that's beyond easy description, and completely sublime throughout! This work captures Russell at his most creative – definitely more of an artists' musician than the sort who'd tried to crack more mainstream modes in his earlier years – almost set free to find that special voice that was always inside him, delivered in a style that's undeniably his, and years ahead of its time! And although we've loved some of the other issues of his lost material by Audika, this set may well be the best of the recent batch – with titles that include "The Boy With A Smile", "Fuzzbuster #6", "Not Checking Up", "Telling No One", "In The Light Of A Miracle", "Very Reason", and "Picture Of Bunny Rabbit". LP, Vinyl record album

A garagey group from the North Carolina scene of the 60s, but one who've also got this really tuneful vibe as well – almost a sort of Brit Invasion inspiration mixed with the rougher edges in their music! The group harmonize in a way that's clearly got some Beatles inspiration, but the production of this unissued material is very different than any sort of George Martin session in the studio – with plenty of echo and even a bit of distortion from time to time, which really offsets the sweetness in the vocals! The set features their original Wal-Mor 45 – the only two tracks that were ever issued back in the day – plus eight more unissued titles – tunes that include "Try Not To Cry", "Ticky Tacky", "Don't Be Surprised", "Get Out Of That Rut", "I Walk The Line", "Blue Blue World", and "The Shortest Road To You". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – and one of the most groundbreaking blends of jazz and global music ever recorded! Reedman Tony Scott plays here with a little-known group of Indonesian jazz players – brought together in a special project for MPS/Saba records, in a blend of modal jazz elements and other tunes that really find a way to echo the gamelan styles that you might expect from Indonesian music – emphasized by the group's phrasing on piano, guitar, and siter, as well as Scott's interweaving lines on clarinet! The sound is fantastic, completely other worldly, and must be heard to be believed – served up with other players who include Marjono on tenor and vocal, Bubi Chen on piano and sitar, Jack Lesmana on guitar, Yopi Chen on bass, and Benny Mustafa on drums. Tracks include "Ilir Ilir", "Gambang Suling", "Djanger Bali", and an amazing rendition of "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

A really weird, really moody sort of record – one that was issued in the mid 80s, but by a guy who seems to think that he's still working in the singer/songwriter generation of the late 70s! For Scott Seskind, punk and new wave never happened – as the songs here are personal, heartfelt, and delivered with this darkly-presented folk style – not the sunny optimism of the early 60s, but more that smoky haze from the second half of the decade – infused with the realization that the revolution wasn't gonna happen, with more focus on personal issues. There's some great moody echo in the production, which really helps set the tone – and titles include "War", "Empty Arms", "Unknown & Disliked", "Bobby Sands", "You're The Reason", "This Is My Country", "Out Of The Blue", "Our Ring", and "Been Waitin". LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on sweet soul sounds from the past – served up here by a mighty hip group who mix slow funky modes with some mighty nice vocals! The record's got a mix of deep funk production and some of the warmer qualities of east coast group soul from the New Jersey scene at the start of the 70s – almost an All-Platinum/Stang sort of record from the hands of George Kerr and Sylvia Robinson, but with some fuller, more forward-moving cuts that also echo the Record Kicks label too! There's light strings that really help the record soar – and the lead vocals of Mark Sexton are mighty nice throughout, especially when he gets support from a few backup singers too. Titles include "Better Late Than Never", "The Other Side", "Trouble On My Mind", "Love Can't Be Borrowed", "Beck & Call", "This Could Last Forever", and "Daydreaming". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest albums from the legendary Peruvian scene at the start of the 70s – served up by a group who've got a Bay Area reference in their name, and who definitely work with a mix of Latin and psychedelic elements that echo that scene – but with a special sort of vibe that's all their own! Some moments on the record have that perfect pop production and presentation that we love from their contemporaries We All Together – yet other points echo more of the older sound of Mag Records, and the way the label could cook up some really heavy Latin groovers to rival the best of New York. Yet the trippier sounds of the psych generation are what really make the record great – clearly a Santana inspiration, but taken in new directions too – on titles that include "Sungaligali", "Sweet Whatever", "Happy", "Something Going", "Telegraph Avenue", and "Sometimes In Winter". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great combo from the contemporary London scene – one who work with jazz instrumentation, but in ways that echo a variety of rhythmic styles – elements of North and West African modes, and touches of Caribbean as well – but all done with a lean, instrumental style! The group's led by drummer Ben Brown, who plays some equally great percussion next to Ernesto Maricholes – in rhythms that also get plenty of action from the guitar of Tal Jones and bass of Joe Downard. Tenor from Sam Rapley really sets the tunes on fire – often providing a raspy edge that's in a nice contrast to the rhythms, adding a real current of soul, and also opening up the sonic palette of the grooves! Titles include "Grown", "Wassoulou", "Time's Got A Hold", "Rollando", "Moleman", and "Listening Glasses". LP, Vinyl record album

You might know pianist Ra Washington from his work in Mourning A BLKstar or Vernacular, and he's even more powerful and righteous here in a collaboration with bassist Jah Nada – as the pair head up a collective that delivers music that's full of music and message throughout! There's a brooding intensity to the music that's amazing – very deep currents that certainly echo the basslines, but then resonate out even more strongly with a larger sonic palette that seems to draw everything together – from a mix of guitar, percussion, trumpet, reeds, and keyboards too – all elements used sparely, but with fantastic energy – spacing things out, moving them up, and setting the free to soar to the heavens on titles that include "Wrath Of Dawn", "My Father The Butcher", "Planting Seeds", "When The Angels Sing", "Hands", "Call To Prayer", and "Bobbi Lynn". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazzy gem from the DeWolfe sound library in the UK – a record done by pianist Roger Webb, but with an expanded "Sound" – as you might guess from the title! Roger plays both acoustic and electric pianos, in a variety of styles – and a number of cuts here have sublime vocals from Barbara Moore – singing wordlessly, and groovily, in modes that echo her own famous DeWolfe album, but which are a bit more subtle too. Every cut has a different vibe – some outright funky, some more laidback and mellow – and titles include "Sparky", "Cough Drop", "Moon Shade", "Interweave", "Gentle Eyes", "Petal Soft", "Coaster", and "Grey Sigh". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Atlantic LP from the 60s – one that showcases two different sides of singer Mary Wells, in a mode that's different than her work for other labels! The "two sides" in the title are Mary's soul side and her more sophisticated one – the former served up in a batch of great 60s soul covers that echo with an Atlantic sound that's even harder than Mary's earlier work – the latter by a host of groovy 60s pop numbers, done with fuller arrangements, and a vocal range that really surprised us! Sonny Sanders handles the soul sides, Joe Mazzu handles the sophisticated ones – and titles include "Love Make The World Go Round", "My World Is Empty Without You Babe", "Good Lovin", "Dear Lover", "In The Midnight Hour", "Where Am I Going", "The Boy From Ipanema", and "The Shadow of Your Smile". LP, Vinyl record album

A whole host of rare cuts from the original Kent Records label in LA – the 60s follow-up to the famous Crown/Modern/RPM imprint of the postwar years – a set of labels that gave the world plenty of amazing R&B tracks in the 50s! Here, Kent is going more for a 60s groove overall, but with qualities that still echo the nice edge of their older material – all in a package that pays tribute to a famous collection of Kent songs done by Ace Records forty years before – the start of a long love affair that's had Ace issuing plenty of tracks that never saw the light of day back in the 50s and 60s! That's definitely the case here – as rare cuts stand next to others making their vinyl debut – on a soaring soul lineup that includes "I Got Love" by The Other Brothers, "Long As I Got My Baby" by Jackie Day, "Down In The City" by The Marvellos, "The Sun Don't Shine Everyday" by The Saints, "I've Got To Win Your Love For Me" by The Simms Twins, "Stand Up Straight & Tall" by Jackie Shane, "Walk The Chalk Line" by Aaron Collins & The Teen Queens, "I'm Tired" by Billy Watkins, "That's It" by ZZ Hill, "Tobacco Road North" by Tommy Youngblood, and "I Was Born To Love You" by Johnny Copeland. LP, Vinyl record album

The Houseplant series really takes off with this killer triple-LP set – a massive batch of funk and soul, both old and new – presented here in a really great assortment of modes! There's some great deep tracks from the 70s here, alongside some well-chosen contemporary cuts from the international funk underground – plus a few other assorted surprises along the way – keeping the label's strong reputation for serving up a record that's way different than the standard funk compilation! Titles include "Short Stopping" by Veda Brown, "What's Good For You" by Harvey Scales, "Little Saddy" by Andre Ethier, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Slide" by Adesse Versions, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Love Theme From Spartacus" by Yusef Lateef, "Town Called Nowhere" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Blah Blah Blah" by Saun & Starr, "Gotta Let Me Know" by Breakestra, "Jamaica Ska" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "Legend In My Own Mind" by The Stepkids, "Lament 1" by Dustin Laurenzi, "Trouble" by Frederick Knight, "The Echo" by Epsilons, "A Little Bit More Won't Hurt" by Bettye Crutcher, "The Who Who Song" by Jackie Wilson, and "Don't Stop" by The Bar Kays. LP, Vinyl record album

Weird and wonderful grooves from the Taiwanese scene – tracks that definitely echo some of the disco and funky soul modes of the American market in the 70s, but which have plenty of strange twists and turns of their own! The vibe here is a bit like other collections of Southeast Asian pop hybrids from the 60s and 70s – material that's clearly influenced by the Anglo culture of the time, but which has plenty of localized touches – not just in language and instrumentation, but also in terms of production styles, which gives a lot of these tracks a really cool sound. Titles are all in Taiwanese, but we can say that the set features work from Tian Lu Lu, Liu Guan Lin, Wu Xiu Zhu, Luo Yan Li, Hua Yi Bao, Cui Tai Jing, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing orthodox about this 70s dub gem from Erroll Brown – as the album's an unusual set from start to finish – even in an era when so many dub records were being produced! There's an extra-raw sound to the whole thing – which might be hinted at by its cover image – and the sounds are very far from any sort of referent in vocal work in Jamaican music – with tracks that seem to exist entirely on their own, in a wave of echo, bubbling basslines, and slow-riffing guitars! Titles include "Gold Toot Style", "Black Forest Rock", "Roots Rockas", "Macka Dub", "First World Dub", "African Roots Style", and "Cold Sweat". LP, Vinyl record album

A set from the late 90s, but one that's got a very timeless vibe – as it features spare duets on kora between these two legendary players – coming together in a way that's completely magical, and fresh enough to earn the "new ancient" in the title! There's a sense of warmth to the proceedings right from the start – an improvising sympathy that seems borrowed from jazz, although there's nothing jazz-like at all in this music – and the production uses just the right touch of echo to bring out the resonant qualities of the instruments, but never seeks to commercialize the proceedings at all. Titles include "Salaman", "Bi Lamban", "Kita Kaira", "Korobali", "Yamfa", "Cheikhna Demba", and "Bafoulabe". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible pop psych sounds from Grapefruit – a group who might be best known for their early inclusion in the Beatles' Apple Corps – but who can easily stand on their own with the strength of material like this! The production is superb, and the overall vision in the music is sublime – trippy touches, but never too many – and vocals that echo out with both a sense of harmony in the group, and some beautiful larger touches in the studio! The whole thing's got a subtle power that we'd rank right up there with The Zombies, just as they were starting to get great! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest projects so far from Grey October Sounds – a set that has all the crispy beats and laidback vibe of previous records, but which also focuses on themes from anime as well! There's plenty of tunes from the world of anime, but they're nicely changed up with the instrumentation and production of Grey October Sounds – done as hip hop-styled instrumentals, but still with the gentler currents that echo the originals – including plenty of piano lines that float with a very dreamy vibe over the beats of the tracks! The record has all the charms you could hope for – covering songs Bleach, Saint Seiya,, K-ON! Dragon Ball and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Adam Rudolph works here with a whole host of instruments of his own, then opens the door for a huge amount of guests – all of whom help the proceedings come across with an organic, earthy blend of both acoustic and electric instrumental elements! Rudolph himself handles kalimba, keyboards, and a global mix of reeds and percussion instruments – and the set features guitar from Eivin Aarset, Fender Rhodes and organ from Alexis Marcelo, and drums from Hamid Drake – plus more contributions on sitar, tablas, wood flute, and other instruments that really echo the post-jazz, pan-global approach that Rudolph has brought to his work, both as Hu Vibrational and in other settings too. Titles include "Psychic", "Hittin", "Space", "Timeless", "Honey Honey", and "Proto Zoa Gogo". LP, Vinyl record album

If you're looking for a definition of dub, this album may well be it – and it's clear proof why Tubby could proudly wear the crown of a King! The set's beautifully bassy and muddy all the way through – a heady brew of bottom-level sounds – all layered wonderfully with lots and lots of echo – light guitar, bass, and drums tripping along with a sound that's as powerful today as it was back in the 70s! All tracks are instrumentals, and this LP version features 15 tracks in all – with cuts that include "Babylon Dub", "Send Me Dub", "In Love Dub", "Perfidia Dub", and "Soundtrack Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Tenorist James Brandon Lewis is easily one of the most important voices on his instrument in recent years – and also one of the most versatile too, as is shown in this project with the guitar-driven group The Messthetics! Two of the group's members hail from legendary punk band Fugazi, but clearly come across here with a different vibe overall – still using guitar, bass, and drums in ways that echo rock roots – but with a more rhythmic approach, and one that acts as a surprisingly strong setting for Lewis' solos! This isn't some cheap "punk jazz", but instead a wonderfully well-crafted hybrid of modes – one that really notches things up for both Lewis and the group. Titles include "Railroad Tracks Home", "The Time Is The Place", "That Thang", "Emergence", "L'Orso", and "Boatly". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary debut of this equally legendary group from Mali – a completely compelling ensemble who made music that's continuing to trans fix generations all these many years later! The album's got this very hypnotic vibe right from the start – all sorts of funky drums, guitar lines, and horns woven together in snakey styles that echo West African roots, but also showcase some of the new prosperity and independence of the 70s – really grabbing up a bold, soulful sort of energy, while still keeping things raw in both the vocals and production. Titles include "Nantan", "Moko Jolo", "Sunan", "Jurukan", "Marabayasa", "Tidiani Kone", and "Bajala Male". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from Joshua Abrams – a set that's very different than some of his other work in recent years, but every bit as great! The set's got a lean group – Abrams on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar, Gerald Cleaver on drums, and the great Ari Brown on tenor – of Awakening fame – a group that delivers a more stripped-down version of some of Josh's more spiritual ideals – but in ways that also touch base with more conventional jazz expression! Make no mistake, there's nothing conventional about this set – the approach is very unique, and very striking – and the presence of the younger musicians really sets Ari Brown on fire, and reminds us of what a great soloist he can be when he's pushed to his limits. Titles include "Collapsing Novelty", "Duke Hill", "Echo Tracer", "In Place Of Memory", and "Coniunctio". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest set so far from this excellent combo – a record that infuses their unique blend of Afro Funk with some slightly psychedelic currents – as you might guess from the cover! The record's not entirely in the territory of a group like the Heliocentrics, but there's certainly more fuzz than before – yet always balanced with the forward-moving rhythms that the group does so well, plus plenty of that soaring brass work that graces their name – horn lines that are in a fantastic tradition that includes both styles from New Orleans and Nigeria! Titles include "The Pit", "But At What Cost", "Aethervision", "Little Ghosts", "Hox C", "Echo AD", "A Web A Knot A Tangle", and "Doom Country". LP, Vinyl record album

Imagine gaining entry to a treasure trove of vintage keyboards and electronic music sources – then getting the chance to spend days improvising with them, and making new sounds of your own! That's exactly what happened to Jeremiah Chu, as he was set loose inside the Vintage Synthesizer Museum in Los Angeles – where he handled dozens of amazing instruments, improvising throughout, and capturing most of his experiments live on tape! The result is a record that's maybe a bit more warm and organic than the sorts of older analog electronic albums, especially the more academic type – as Chiu creates these really beautiful progressions of sounds that flower and glisten with a very human sensibility – not electronic music for robots, but instead an embrace of electronic possibilities for altering contemporary living! Titles include "Rococco Rondo", "For Voices", "Seawater Swell", "Rhythm Bell", "Static Stone Railway", "Transparent Spheres", and "Echo Arp Hold". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever release of some incredible funky folk tunes from vocalist Susan Christie – originally recorded as demos in the years before her work at Columbia Records, and arguably even better than those classic singles! Backings here are by John Hill, who inflects Susan's folksy style with a heavier undercurrent – one that's subtly funky at the best moments, and which also pushes fuller strings and more baroque instrumentation into the mix – all in a way that almost sounds like David Axlerod might, had he started making folk records! Titles include the amazing 9 minute "Yesterday, Where's My Mind" – a funky mini-suite that's worth the price of the record alone – plus "Paint A Lady", "Rainy Day", "Ghost Riders In The Sky", "Echo In Your Mind", "When Love Comes", and "For The Love Of A Soldier". LP, Vinyl record album

A biker soundtrack to end all biker soundtracks – one that shares plenty of elements with better-known entries in the genre, but which also has some really wild and offbeat moments! As with most of the short-lived motorcycle soundtrack era, the vibe here is much more rock than other film scores of the time – written and performed by Don Gere, with a variety of styles that echo some of the fake groups that were often thrown together for bigger biker films – but sometimes with looser, weirder elements that really deliver the kind of sounds that we always expected on other biker soundtracks, but which were instead buried under piles of b and c-grade psych. Instead, Don really serves up the goods here – especially on some of the more fuzzy Satanic ritual tracks, which also have some great sound effects – and which then have you embracing some of the straighter rock tracks, almost as a relief. Titles include "Werewolves On Wheels (Main Theme)", "Mount Shasta Home", "Ritual", "Ritual 2", "The Devil's Advocates", "One Foot In Heaven", "Burning Grass", "Tarot", "Tarot Trail", "Dust Bowl", "Ritual 3", and "Werewolves On Wheels (End Theme)". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely wonderful album from Haruomi Hosono – a real watershed not just in his own career, but in the development of mainstream Japanese music too! The set's got the sophistication of the best of the singer/songwriter underground in the US – not just in the lyrical presentation, which you might not be able to understand – but also in terms of the overall production, arrangements, and instrumentation – which seem to echo some of the hippest currents of that LA underground that often found its greatest flowering in those under-sold albums on Warner Brothers during the late 60s. Hosono's vocals are wonderful – completely charming, even if you can't grasp the language – and the album's a much-treasured set from the Japanese 70s scene. LP, Vinyl record album

Haunting guitar work from Branko Mataja – a player with roots in Belgrade, but who recorded these tracks while living in California during his later years – all in a mode that's filled with longing for his homeland! The material is pulled from two different albums – one recorded in the 70s, one in the 80s – both of which focus on older traditional songs from Yugoslavia, but handled by Branko in an otherworldly style that often uses electric guitar and echo to really break with any sense of tradition! The tunes are lovely – often mixing very deft work on the strings with the nicely atmospheric mood created by the production – all at a level that's unlike anything you might have expected to hear coming from the SoCal scene in the 70s. Titles include "Tesko Mi Je Zaboravit Tebe", "Tamo Daleko", "Cija Li Je Livada", "Kafu Mi Draga Ispeci", "Duboko Je More", "Zapletnicki Cacak", and "Susti Bagrem Beli". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary debut of this equally legendary group from Mali – a completely compelling ensemble who made music that's continuing to trans fix generations all these many years later! The album's got this very hypnotic vibe right from the start – all sorts of funky drums, guitar lines, and horns woven together in snakey styles that echo West African roots, but also showcase some of the new prosperity and independence of the 70s – really grabbing up a bold, soulful sort of energy, while still keeping things raw in both the vocals and production. Titles include "Nantan", "Moko Jolo", "Sunan", "Jurukan", "Marabayasa", "Tidiani Kone", and "Bajala Male". LP, Vinyl record album

The early works of this legendary German post-punk quintet – an all-female group who started out in punk, but soon hit much more interesting territory – as you'll hear on these early singles recorded both for the Zick Zack and 4AD labels! Later Xmal work was maybe a bit more goth, but these tracks have a stark and experimental approach that's right up there with the best of the German new wave of the time – sounds that both echo some of the UK experiments in the post-punk years, and also refine some of the earlier excesses of Krautrock and take them to nicely focused territory. Titles include "Die Wolken", "Schwarze Welt", "Incubus Succubus", "Blut Is Liebe", "Zu Jung Zu Alt", "Kalbermarsch", and "Grosstandindianer". LP, Vinyl record album

That's a mighty sexy cover on the front – and the grooves inside definitely have the flavor to match! The work here is from the obscure French disco underground – a European scene that never got the same exposure as German or Italian work for clubs – which makes the whole package a really great discovery in sound! The music is surprisingly fresh, and often quite funky too – and done in modes that are arguably warmer and more soulful than most other European disco – and often a lot like the best American underground club of the period. Some tracks have breathy female vocals, while others have bolder lyrics that almost echo some of the global musical crossovers happing in 70s Paris and a few of the later tracks bring in electro elements, but in a subtle way we totally love. The collection's a follow-up to the Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds compilation – and like that one, it's really a cut above the usual! Titles include "Super Star" by Contessa, "Lady Jones" by Over Drive, "Music Madness (ext Charles Maurice version)" by Beckie Bell, "Y'A Du Blues" by Marche Noire, "Un Fait Divers & Rien De Plus (re-remix)" by Le Club, "Pour Moi Ca Va (Charles Maurice version)" by France Lise, "Polar (Charles Maurice version)" by Bernard Guyvan, and "Minuit L'Heure Du Swing" by Didier Makaga. LP, Vinyl record album

A set of all vocal tracks from producer Lloydie Slim Smith, all recorded in Jamaica in the mid 70s – and in this very cool style that blends the soulful elements of early rocksteady work with more message-oriented roots material, touched with some of the trippier elements of dub! There's not too much of the latter, but Smith has a way of using some slight echo in ways that wouldn't have been done a few years before – creating a cool sense of space that really makes magic with the wonderful vocals on the tunes! Titles include "Look A Boom" by I Roy, "Judge I O Lord Inri" by Tappa Zukie, "Jah Jah Jahovah" by Ronnie Davis, "Heading For The Mountain" by Cornell Campbell & The Eternals, "Live In Unity" by Ronnie Davis, "Tripe Girl" by The Heptones, and "Why Did You Leave Me To Cry" by Barrington Spence. LP, Vinyl record album

Horace Andy is one of the all-time greats in Jamaican music – a singer with a style that can be light yet deeply soulful at the same time – a great mixture of sweet and dark that's captured perfectly on this late 70s set! Brad Osborne cut the set with King Tubby – and the latter provided some great echo to flesh out the spare instrumental sound of the record – which is mostly just bass, drums, guitar, and organ – bubbling along in a midtempo groove that lets Andy's vocals really shine in the lead! Titles include "Pure Ranking", "I've Been Around", "What Eyes Don't See", "African Liberation", "Jah Gift To Man", "Totally Free", "Change Your Ways", "Jah Is The One", "Natural Mystic", and "Strictly Ranking". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's as groovy as the group looks on the cover – and one that comes across with just the blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation the image might imply! Ansambl Mileta Petrovica are a Serbian group from the 80s who took older songs and reworked them with a cool style that's almost garagey in approach – save for the fact that the keyboards are much more fitting to the decade in which the music was recorded! The use of bongos is great, as it keeps things nice and rootsy at the core – while the guitar has plenty of surf-styled echo, and resonates really strongly through the music. Tracks are all instrumental, and titles include "Robot", "Zov Gitare", "Japanka", "Miletova Gadje", "Cocek Ajd'Mo U Planine", "Niski Disko", and "Zoranov Cicek". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest set so far from this excellent combo – a record that infuses their unique blend of Afro Funk with some slightly psychedelic currents – as you might guess from the cover! The record's not entirely in the territory of a group like the Heliocentrics, but there's certainly more fuzz than before – yet always balanced with the forward-moving rhythms that the group does so well, plus plenty of that soaring brass work that graces their name – horn lines that are in a fantastic tradition that includes both styles from New Orleans and Nigeria! Titles include "The Pit", "But At What Cost", "Aethervision", "Little Ghosts", "Hox C", "Echo AD", "A Web A Knot A Tangle", and "Doom Country". LP, Vinyl record album

Lost later genius from Cali guitar great Dick Dale – a set recorded in the 70s, but one that stays very faithful to the spirit of his classic 60s material on Capitol! In fact, the sound here may even be more lean and stripped-down – as the recordings were done at the classic Gold Star Studios, but have little in the way of overdone arrangements, production, or anything else you'd guess from the date – just really raw instrumentals that have Dale still a hell of a talent on the guitar, in a small combo with second guitar, bass, drums, and some mighty nice organ! There's great echo in the production, a bit of sax on one cut – and titles include "Surf Beat", "Misirlou", "The Victor", "Let's Go Trippin", "Get Back The Feelin", and "Peppermint Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful later album from Miles Davis – and a tremendous collaboration with composer Michel Legrand, in a set that returns Miles to the French soundtrack tradition he first started back in the late 50s! Some of the tracks here are quite spare – the kind of moody, ethereal solo moments that Miles still does better than most folks at this point in time – and other numbers feature fuller musical backings that echo some of the older Legrand soundtrack flair, but which come off with a slightly more contemporary approach too. Chuck Findley also handles some of the trumpet solos on the album – so all the musings here are not Miles' alone – and titles include "The Departure", "The Arrival", "The Dream", "Paris Walking I", "Going Home", "The Jam Session", and "Club Entrance". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's almost a back to basics effort for DJ Shadow, yet one that's also a strong step forward too – basic in that it's a record that's almost all instrumental, with no guests at all – but forward because it's got a leaner groove, and a style that shows just how far Shadow has moved past the more hip hop/turntablist style of his roots! There's almost a cinematic vibe to the music at times – a mode that fits the action adventure of the title, with plenty of cuts that would be right at home on classic soundtracks, especially of the 80s crime/cop/action style – served up with just the right sorts of beats, basslines, and keyboards to echo that era! Titles include "A Narrow Escape", "You Played Me", "Time & Space", "Forever Changed", "She's Evolving", "Reflecting Pool", "Free For All", "Ozone Scraper", and "Witches Vs Warlocks". LP, Vinyl record album

A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to come out in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that includes "Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely wonderful album from Haruomi Hosono – a real watershed not just in his own career, but in the development of mainstream Japanese music too! The set's got the sophistication of the best of the singer/songwriter underground in the US – not just in the lyrical presentation, which you might not be able to understand – but also in terms of the overall production, arrangements, and instrumentation – which seem to echo some of the hippest currents of that LA underground that often found its greatest flowering in those under-sold albums on Warner Brothers during the late 60s. Hosono's vocals are wonderful – completely charming, even if you can't grasp the language – and the album's a much-treasured set from the Japanese 70s scene. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest studio projects from the early years of the On-U Sound label – a record that's maybe a bit more subtle overall than some of the Tackhead and Mark Stewart projects of the time, but which has an equally similar genre-busting quality! The vibe here is nice and lean – with plenty of bass and effects from Crocodile, on darkly moody tunes that are only partly reggae in inspiration, and which also have plenty of the same elements you might hear on some of Jah Wobble's best early solo projects – with plenty of Adrian Sherwood effects and echo to keep things spooky and moody throughout! Annie Anxiety and Shara Nelson each sing on a track on the record – but most of the set is instrumental, and has this wonderful spare interplay between the instruments, served up in dubby heaven. Titles include "Crocodile's Court", "Savanna Prance", "Meander", "Igloo Inn", "Missing Brazilians", "Gentle Killers", and "Frequency Feast". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the only albums of jazz we've seen from the Korean scene of the 70s – and a really special little record that aims to echo some of the most spiritual modes from the US scene of the time! The record's the brainchild of arranger Lee Pan Guen – who doesn't play on the record, but leaves the music to a hip lineup that features trumpet, tenor or soprano sax, piano, bass, and drums plus percussion – often used in a way that's either modal or slightly lyrical, depending on the tunes. A few tracks are remakes of American numbers, but done at a level that's very personal and fluid – echoing the spiritual currents of the original tunes on the set – and titles include "Han O Baek Nyun", "My Favorite Things", "Gasiri", "Bin Ba Da", "Arirang", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set of work that shows the more intimate side of composer Arvo Part – not his larger projects or vocal material – but instead a series of contemplative sonatas that feature piano, violin, or cello – or some combination of both! The performances here are handled by Alexi Lubimov, Vadim Gluzman, Jurgen Krus, Angela Yoffe, and Sebastian Klinger – and the recording quality is great – with a nice sense of room that makes some of the notes echo out in space and really increase the melancholy element in the music, especially on some of the piano passages. Titles include "Speigel Im Spiegel", "Fur Alina", "Fratres", and "Variationen Zur Gesundung Von Arinushka". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic set from the Sudanese scene of the 70s – served up by a group who've definitely got all the jazz promised in the title, but who also have a special vibe that's all their own! The rhythms are nicely jagged – sometimes rolling and romping, almost with a South African jazz approach – other times a bit more stark, and almost always topped by superb reed lines that almost echo some of the Ethiopian jazz styles of the period – but again, with a very special sound of their own! A number of tunes have vocals – nicely snakey, and not entirely tied to the rhythms – and there's also lots of cool organ in the group, too – over riffing guitar that moves along strongly with the drums. The sound's a bit hard to sum up in words, but is every bit as cool as you could hope from the cover and title – and tracks include "Nile Waves", "Azzah Music", "Hilwa Ya Amoora", "Bride Of Africa", "Seira Music", "Saat Alfarah", and "Farrah Galbi Aljadeed". LP, Vinyl record album

Magical music from the team of Donald Fagan and Walter Becker – one of those records that seems to state its existence in simple, straightforward terms – but which is also filled with undeniably complex moments! There's a definite echo of older jazz here – heard famously in the Horace Silver riff stolen for "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", or the Duke Ellington cover of "East St Louis Toodle-oo" – as well as in the group's own "Parker's Band" – one of the strangest songs you'll ever hear about Bird! Yet there's also a lot more going on too – complicated changes and timings, oblique lyrics, and a warmly produced sound that really sparkles on tracks like "Any Major Dude Will Tell You", "Monkey In Your Soul", "With A Gun", "Pretzel Logic", "Night By Night", and "Charlie Freak". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring keyboards from Hiromasa Suzuki – stretched out on some longer tracks than usual, with beautiful electric elements over some great large arrangements! Suzuki plays a fair bit of electric piano on the set – and is working here with some fairly dramatic larger ensemble sounds that echo the anti-war sentiments of the tunes' titles – not really a jazz-rock style, but definitely with some of the younger, bolder energy of the time! There's a fair bit of funk in the rhythms, especially on the more upbeat tracks – and the album soars along at a pace that would have made Herbie Hancock or Chick Corea proud. Titles include "Warm Honest & Love", "There Is Not Any Way To End The War", "Something Over The War", and "By The Red Stream". LP, Vinyl record album

Really mindblowing work from Japanese guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi – a player we know from other records, but who may well be in one of his most creative settings here – a batch of live improvisations with the equally great reedman Karou Abe! Often, Takayanagi is playing with qualities that really echo some of the experiments of Derek Bailey in the early 70s – on both electric and acoustic guitars, but also with a much more spacious approach overall – which seems to bring out a very different spirit in Abe – who blows alto sax and harmonica, and also plays shakuhachi. The album would be right at home on a label like Incus – and titles include "Thursday/Gradually Projection" and "Jha/Gradually Projection". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most compelling records we've ever heard from UK reedman Tenderlonious – and that's saying a lot, because most of his other recordings have been pretty damn great as well! This set has Tenderlonious playing flute and soprano sax, stretching out on long improvised ragas with the group Jaubi – a trio who use tabla, sarangi, and guitar in modes that echo older currents of Indian music, but also move things towards a slightly more contemporary vibe – with unusual drone elements that enhance the acoustic instruments in a very subtle way – and which only seem to make the flute lines stand out even more by comparison! Titles include "Kirwani", "Impressions", "Azeem", "Shahla Bagh", and "Azadi". LP, Vinyl record album

Peter Tessier turned plenty of knobs to make a record this great – which is maybe no surprise, given that he worked as an engineer in the Canadian branch of RCA Records in the early 70s! Pete definitely makes that legacy work for him – with really wonderful arrangements and sharp production that set a strong fire to illuminate his unique songs! The record's not really psych or prog, and Tessier's more raspy vocal style almost gives it more of the 70s personality of a singer like Lou Reed – while the songs echo singer/songwriter modes, but are executed with a lot more sonic complexity – almost in a way that feels like some of those 80s UK records that were influenced by psych, but come off sounding very different than the originals of the 60s. Titles include "I'll Never Know", "A Little More Rain", "Someday", "And On The Eighth Day", "Bottle Of Time", and "I Still Don't Know". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark set from the Swedish scene of the early 60s – one that shows just how far that nation's jazzmen had grown during the postwar years! Trombonist Eje Thelin's always one of those talents worth checking out, but we especially like him in these early years – as he's overflowing with fresh new ideas, and really seems to set fire to all around him! At some level, some of the sounds here echo the styles of other American trombone innovators – like JJ Johnson and Curtis Fuller – both particularly good choices for reference here, as a few years earlier, Sweden might have produced a player who was much more in a Bob Brookmeyer or Herbie Harper camp. There's a nice edge to Thelin's playing – and he's definitely not afraid to get a bit dirty with his tone – and other players include Ulf Andersson on tenor, Joel Vandroogenbrock on piano, Roman Dylag on bass, and Run Carlsson on drums. Titles include the originals "Folk Song", "So Far", and "Fast" – plus "Lament" and "It Could Happen To You". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure set of roots reggae, recorded in Kingston at the Aquarius studio in the early 80s, but issued here for the first time ever – as a warmly wonderful collaboration between Donovan Joseph, Orville Smith, and Hugo Blackwood! There's an easygoing groove to the tracks that really lets the message flow with subtle, righteous energy – given dubby touches at times, with a nice degree of echo at key moments – and layered with keyboards from Anthony Brissett, percussion from Harry Powell, and tenor from Dean Frazier. Most tracks are nice and long, and titles include "Pave The Way", "I Would Like To Know", "One Step", "Sitting All Night", "Live Upright", and "Devil's Angels". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare second volume of this elusive record from one of the funkiest combos in Benin – a set that was originally only circulated in the same cover as the first volume – which has made for plenty of confusion over the years! This follow-up is maybe even more hard-hitting than the initial release – with long tracks that groove wonderfully with skittish rhythms, strong basslines, and raw production that makes the guitar and vocals echo out in a really bold way! There are occasional echoes of Latin American styles that influenced music in West Africa – especially Colombian modes – and the blend of sounds here is completely fantastic. Titles include "General Gowon", "A Non Zoun Mi", "La Verite Blesse", "Je N'En Pleux Plus", and "Gendemou Na Wili We Gnannin". LP, Vinyl record album

The "future" in the title is very well-put – as the album seems to open up a rich new chapter in the music of the legendary vocalist Dwight Trible – a singer who's carried on the spiritual legacy of the 70s well into the 21st Century, and who's always given us some fantastic records in the past! And here, Trible's continuing that legacy, but in a different way – mixing up styles in ways that almost seem to echo the experiments on the London and Chicago scenes of late, and also mixing cosmic elements with more down to earth soul styles – in a core group that's heavier on bass and electric guitar than some of his other groups. The set features guest vocals from Georgia Anne Muldrow on one track, and guest tenor from Kamasi Washington on another – and titles include "Beach Vibes", "Elements", "African Drum", "Black Dance", "Wind", "Derf Reklaw", and "My Stomping Ground". LP, Vinyl record album

You may not recognize the name of Deniece Chandler in soul music, but you'll definitely know her by her later name of Deniece Williams and her many hits of the 70s and 80s for Columbia Records! Yet here, while still Chandler, the young singer comes across in a very different way – serving up some excellent early material from the Chicago scene – perfect for the higher-voiced style she used at the start – really wonderful tunes that also echo some of the more sophisticated ways that Chicago cooking up at the time. The set features a host of early singles that Chandler recorded for the Toddlin Town label, plus some unreleased material, and even some bonus tracks too – including two duets with Lee Sain. Titles include "Yes I'm Ready", "Love Is Tears", "I'm Walking Away", "Come On Home To Me Baby", "Goodbye Cruel World", "Mama I Wish I Stayed At Home", "Just One Time", "Glorious Feeling", "Hey Baby", "Shy Boy", and "I'm Not Like The Others". LP, Vinyl record album

Startling! This album is one of two that a young Tony Williams cut for Blue Note, back when he was just hitting the age of 20, and when he was already blowing the minds of masters like Jackie McLean (who first hired him) and Miles Davis (who stole him from Jackie for his own group!) with an approach to drumming that was freed from usual time constraints. Williams conception was so unique, other young modernists – like the album's Wayne Shorter and Sam Rivers on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, and Gary Peacock on bass – quickly benefited from his presence, as you'll hear in this amazing session that sounds very little like any other Blue Note release. Williams wrote all of the tracks, but the style is much freer than any sense of composition might imply – and the group is shaken up differently from track to track. Titles include "From Before", "Echo", and "Extras". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just a fantastic album from Ethiopia's legendary Asnakech Worku, but also a great setting for Hailu Mergia too – as he plays organ on the record, and produced the whole thing too! Worku sings and plays the krar – an Ethiopian harp, but one with a very raw sound – almost more metallic than melodic at times, and recorded with a lot of echo too – which seeps out to the vocals, and the eerie keyboard lines provided by Mergia – with only a small bit of drums for accompaniment! The echo really abstracts the vocals at times, and the whole thing has this amazing sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – including lots of 70s classics from the Ethiopian scene. Titles include "Tche Belew", "Awkew Beneber", "Jinyew", "Baynelay Yidal", "Sak Bleh Askegn", "Kand Yerega Deg New", and "Abyotegnaw Jegna". LP, Vinyl record album