A really genre-transforming record from Thundercat – music that opened the door to a whole generation of experiments on both sides of the Atlantic in years to come! Flying Lotus is a key musical partner here, and the record moves effortlessly between soul and funk, jazz and cosmic currents – nodding at a few moments to hip hop and other contemporary styles, but always with that visionary approach that's made Thundercat such a force to reckon with over the years! And yes, there had been other attempts to hit this territory in the decade before – but this is one of the few records that really feels like it's getting the approach right, and moving the needle forward – thanks to tracks that include "We'll Die", "Tron Song", "Seven", "Oh Sheit It's X", "Without You", "Life Aquatic", "Tenfold", and "Heartbreaks + Setbacks". LP, Vinyl record album

A really genre-transforming record from Thundercat – music that opened the door to a whole generation of experiments on both sides of the Atlantic in years to come! Flying Lotus is a key musical partner here, and the record moves effortlessly between soul and funk, jazz and cosmic currents – nodding at a few moments to hip hop and other contemporary styles, but always with that visionary approach that's made Thundercat such a force to reckon with over the years! And yes, there had been other attempts to hit this territory in the decade before – but this is one of the few records that really feels like it's getting the approach right, and moving the needle forward – thanks to tracks that include "We'll Die", "Tron Song", "Seven", "Oh Sheit It's X", "Without You", "Life Aquatic", "Tenfold", and "Heartbreaks + Setbacks". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from one of the most compelling mainstream talents in recent years – an artist who can get wide fame and acclaim, yet keep on pushing the boundaries into fresh new cosmic territory! This album may well be Thundercat's masterpiece – not just a summation of all the ideas and areas he's explored in the past, but also kind of a re-filtering of other modes as well – including the more spiritual and jazz-based territory that he's moved towards, especially when working with others! Yet there's nothing here that's an easy copy of another style, or another's work – as the whole thing bristles with a personal newness that's wonderful – even when Thundercat is getting help from guests who include Kamasai Washington, Flying Lotus, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell, and Kendrick Lamarr – as well as some especially nice work from AOR legends Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. Titles include "I Am Crazy", "3AM", "Rabbot Ho", "Bus In These Streets", "Lava Lamp", "Jethro", "Show You The Way", "Drink Dat", "Jameel's Space Ride", and "Tokyo". CD

Fantastic work from one of the most compelling mainstream talents in recent years – an artist who can get wide fame and acclaim, yet keep on pushing the boundaries into fresh new cosmic territory! This album may well be Thundercat's masterpiece – not just a summation of all the ideas and areas he's explored in the past, but also kind of a re-filtering of other modes as well – including the more spiritual and jazz-based territory that he's moved towards, especially when working with others! Yet there's nothing here that's an easy copy of another style, or another's work – as the whole thing bristles with a personal newness that's wonderful – even when Thundercat is getting help from guests who include Kamasai Washington, Flying Lotus, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell, and Kendrick Lamarr – as well as some especially nice work from AOR legends Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. Titles include "I Am Crazy", "3AM", "Rabbot Ho", "Bus In These Streets", "Lava Lamp", "Jethro", "Show You The Way", "Drink Dat", "Jameel's Space Ride", and "Tokyo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great modern genre-busting debuts we've had the pleasure of being so stunned by in quite a while! Thundercat's Golden Age is dizzyingly brilliant mix of 80s clubby synths and keys, future soul & funky soundscapes, 70s soul jazzy atmospherics and more – but it's hardly a mere genre-mash, Thundercat's got a unique and inventive vision all his own. A number of tracks feature vocals, but it's really about the mood – and what an expansive mood it is! He shows love here for influential figures from George Duke to Brainfeeder honcho Flying Lotus, to Erykah Badu – great stuff and we're thinking he's only gonna get better from here. Titles include "Hooooooo" (inspired by mid 70s George Duke), "Daylight", "For Love I Come", "Jamboree", "Boat Cruise", "Walkin", "Mystery Machine", "Return To The Journey", "Golden Boy", "Walkin'" (feat Erykah Badu) and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous album from Thundercat – an artist who just seems to get better and better with every new record, and who's maybe here defining a genre that's completely unto himself! The record is soulful, and has a lot of contemporary cosmic currents – but it's also more far-reaching and fluid than anything that Thundercat's ever given us before – still done with key help from Flying Lotus, but with a majestic, confident quality that seems to have the duo ready to take over the universe! The airy soulful vocals are great, but the rhythms and instrumentation are maybe even more compelling – as there's a number of tunes here that are almost impossible to describe in words, even though they're instantly appealing and wonderfully soulful – a balance that's the sort of special genius from an artist who's ready to write himself into the pop music history books with a key release like this. There's a whole host of guests – including Ty Dolla Sign, Childish Gambino, Louis Cole, Kamasi Washington, Badbadnotgood, Miguel Atwood Ferguson, and many others – but it's clear that the Thundercat/Flying Lotus axis holds all the power – on titles that include "Fair Chance", "Funny Thing", "How Sway", "Miguel's Happy Dance", "Lost In Space/Great Scott/22-26", "Interstellar Love", "Overseas", "Dragonball Durag", "King Of The Hill", and "Existential Dread". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overview testament to the genius of Miguel Atwood Ferguson – a string player whose work has graced countless other great spiritual jazz projects from the west coast scene, and one who finally gets a chance to showcase his beautiful sense of creation in all its glory! The massively extended set is worth all the room that Miguel has been given – as the package features over three hours of music that flowers with all sorts of emotion, especially joy and hope – with Atwood-Ferguson working with help from friends who include Bennie Maupin and Kamasi Washington on reeds, Jeff Parker on guitar, and a whole host of musicians – including Domi & Beck, Carlos Nino, Thundercat, Jamire Williams, Jamael Dean, and others! There's a majestic quality to the record, but also a very personal tone too – as if Miguel has taken the wide range of his experience over decades on the scene, and woven it into a brilliant sonic poem of his own – served up here on 52 selections that leave us breathless! CD

A long-overview testament to the genius of Miguel Atwood Ferguson – a string player whose work has graced countless other great spiritual jazz projects from the west coast scene, and one who finally gets a chance to showcase his beautiful sense of creation in all its glory! The massively extended set is worth all the room that Miguel has been given – as the package features over three hours of music that flowers with all sorts of emotion, especially joy and hope – with Atwood-Ferguson working with help from friends who include Bennie Maupin and Kamasi Washington on reeds, Jeff Parker on guitar, and a whole host of musicians – including Domi & Beck, Carlos Nino, Thundercat, Jamire Williams, Jamael Dean, and others! There's a majestic quality to the record, but also a very personal tone too – as if Miguel has taken the wide range of his experience over decades on the scene, and woven it into a brilliant sonic poem of his own – served up here on 52 selections that leave us breathless! LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty fresh debut from Domi and JD Beck – a duo who mix together keyboards and drums at a level that channels lots of styles from the global underground of the past decade or so, but with a jazzier sort of warmth, and a nicely soulful current throughout! The pair first got attention on a track by Anderson Paak, who appears here alongside a list of other luminaries who include Thundercat, Busta Rhymes, Herbie Hancock, Snoop Dogg, and Mac DeMarco – all guests who are maybe more at home in the groove of Domi and JD, than trying to push their own agenda! Anderson signed the duo himself – and titles include "Pilot", "Moon", "Duke", "Take A Chance", "Whatup", "Smile", "Bowling", "Not Tight", "Two Shrimps", and "U Don't Have To Rob Me". CD

A mighty fresh debut from Domi and JD Beck – a duo who mix together keyboards and drums at a level that channels lots of styles from the global underground of the past decade or so, but with a jazzier sort of warmth, and a nicely soulful current throughout! The pair first got attention on a track by Anderson Paak, who appears here alongside a list of other luminaries who include Thundercat, Busta Rhymes, Herbie Hancock, Snoop Dogg, and Mac DeMarco – all guests who are maybe more at home in the groove of Domi and JD, than trying to push their own agenda! Anderson signed the duo himself – and titles include "Pilot", "Moon", "Duke", "Take A Chance", "Whatup", "Smile", "Bowling", "Not Tight", "Two Shrimps", and "U Don't Have To Rob Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds from Flying Lotus – an artist who just keeps on pushing past any conventional expectations, to a point where his music is almost a genre unto itself! The record's got this very tripped-out sort of vibe – very much in keeping with the image on the cover – and while many others are exploring this territory of late, few ever even get close to the right sort of mix that's going on here – subtle elements of soul, funk, jazz, hip hop, and maybe a million other influences – all flowing through the double-length space of the set, as it Flying Lotus redefines the sound of soul in the modern age. The set's got guest work from Thundercat, Shabazz Palaces, David Lynch, George Clinton, Anderson Paak, Little Dragon, Solange, and others – and titles include "Post Requisite", "Takashi", "Spontaneous", "More", "Burning Down The House", "Actually Virtual", "Find Your Own Way Home", "The Climb", "Debbie Is Depressed", "Black BAloons Reprise", and "Land Of Honey". CD

Fantastic sounds from Flying Lotus – an artist who just keeps on pushing past any conventional expectations, to a point where his music is almost a genre unto itself! The record's got this very tripped-out sort of vibe – very much in keeping with the image on the cover – and while many others are exploring this territory of late, few ever even get close to the right sort of mix that's going on here – subtle elements of soul, funk, jazz, hip hop, and maybe a million other influences – all flowing through the double-length space of the set, as it Flying Lotus redefines the sound of soul in the modern age. The set's got guest work from Thundercat, Shabazz Palaces, David Lynch, George Clinton, Anderson Paak, Little Dragon, Solange, and others – and titles include "Post Requisite", "Takashi", "Spontaneous", "More", "Burning Down The House", "Actually Virtual", "Find Your Own Way Home", "The Climb", "Debbie Is Depressed", "Black BAloons Reprise", and "Land Of Honey". LP, Vinyl record album

The best yet from Flying Lotus – who we keep allowing ourselves to believe has hit an insurmountable peak with each new record – but he just keeps getting better! Where the preceding Cosmogramma upped the stranger, spacier and more abstract textures, Until The Quiet Comes is a bit more inviting – and to his credit, Flying Lotus keeps things as innovative as ever, while still giving this one just a bit more immediately appealing atmosphere. There's nearly always a compelling beat, whether it's abstract boom bap or bubbly and synthy, with heavy bass and thick waves of sound floating over. An incredible roster of guests contribute, too – including string-arranger Miguel Atwood Ferguson, vocalists Erykah Badu, Laura Darlington and Radiohead's Thom Yorke, keyboardist Dorian Concept, and others – but there's little doubt that this is purely the Flying Lotus show. Greatness! Titles include "All In", "Sultan's Request", "See Thru To U" with Erykah Badu, "DMT Song" with Thundercat, "The Nightcaller", "Only If You Wanna", "Electric Candyman" with Thom Yorke, "Hunger" with Niki Randa, "Phantasm" with Laura Darlington, "Dream To Me" and more. CD

DAMN!, indeed – Kendrick has yet to take even a small step down from the creative peak he's been riding for years – and takes another daring step forward with this strong, strident, no-mess-taking classic in the making! The surprise-announced DAMN! finds him taking on timely concerns – some longtime inherent to everyday racial, social, and class struggles in American life, and others that are purely personal. The production is diverse to a degree, but a bit straight forward compared to the sprawling, years-in-the-making To Pimp A Butterfly – all by design, as DAMN! is clearly made to sound fresh and urgent right now. But like all great musical art, it's built to stand the test of time. Includes guest producers, musicians and vocalists as varied as Thundercat, U2, Kamasi Washington, Kid Capri and Rihanna. Titles include "BLOOD.", "DNA.", "YAH.", "ELEMENT.", "LOYALTY." feat Rihanna, "PRIDE.", "LUST." with strings arranged by Kamasi Washington, "XXX." feat U2, "FEAR.", "GOD." and "DUCKWORTH." CD

DAMN!, indeed – Kendrick has yet to take even a small step down from the creative peak he's been riding for years – and takes another daring step forward with this strong, strident, no-mess-taking classic in the making! The surprise-announced DAMN! finds him taking on timely concerns – some longtime inherent to everyday racial, social, and class struggles in American life, and others that are purely personal. The production is diverse to a degree, but a bit straight forward compared to the sprawling, years-in-the-making To Pimp A Butterfly – all by design, as DAMN! is clearly made to sound fresh and urgent right now. But like all great musical art, it's built to stand the test of time. Includes guest producers, musicians and vocalists as varied as Thundercat, U2, Kamasi Washington, Kid Capri and Rihanna. Titles include "BLOOD.", "DNA.", "YAH.", "ELEMENT.", "LOYALTY." feat Rihanna, "PRIDE.", "LUST." with strings arranged by Kamasi Washington, "XXX." feat U2, "FEAR.", "GOD." and "DUCKWORTH." LP, Vinyl record album

DAMN!, indeed – Kendrick has yet to take even a small step down from the creative peak he's been riding for years – and takes another daring step forward with this strong, strident, no-mess-taking classic in the making! The surprise-announced DAMN! finds him taking on timely concerns – some longtime inherent to everyday racial, social, and class struggles in American life, and others that are purely personal. The production is diverse to a degree, but a bit straight forward compared to the sprawling, years-in-the-making To Pimp A Butterfly – all by design, as DAMN! is clearly made to sound fresh and urgent right now. But like all great musical art, it's built to stand the test of time. Includes guest producers, musicians and vocalists as varied as Thundercat, U2, Kamasi Washington, Kid Capri and Rihanna. Titles include "BLOOD.", "DNA.", "YAH.", "ELEMENT.", "LOYALTY." feat Rihanna, "PRIDE.", "LUST." with strings arranged by Kamasi Washington, "XXX." feat U2, "FEAR.", "GOD." and "DUCKWORTH." LP, Vinyl record album

Kendrick Lamar takes wider creative left turns than ever before on To Pimp A Butterfly – with a funk steeped production style that filters tried-and-true P Funk influences through leftfield modern beatcraft styles, inspired by cats like Madlib to Thundercat, the latter of whom is an official contributor. Fresh material from an increasingly pivotal figure – who may not be revolutionizing the game on the level of the heavy critical praise he's heaped with, but he's certainly marching to his own beat, rather than chasing hits! Includes "Wesley's Theory" with George Clinton & Thundercat, "King Kunta", "These Walls" with Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat, "Aright", "For Sale?", "Institutionalized" with a Slick Rick-homage of a guest verse by Snoop Dogg (sign us up for any record that gives props to The Ruler...and extra points for transplanting that style of flow to Compton), "Momma", "Hood Politics", "The Blacker The Berry", "How Much A Dollar Cost" feat James Fauntleroy & Ronald Isley, "Mortal Man" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut from Taylor McFerrin – family member to another famous jazz singer, but very much possessed of his own self and style! The album's got this crackling, glistening quality – subtle electronics and Fender Rhodes mixing with Taylor's well-crafted vocals – never overwhelming them, but taking them into a space that's beyond conventional soul or jazz – and completely hypnotic throughout! Robert Glasper guests on one track on the set – and McFerrin's approach is a bit like some of the most creative elements in Glasper's Black Radio experiment – and other guests on the record include Emily King, Nai Palm, and Thundercat. Titles include "Decisions", "Postpartum", "Degrees Of Light", "The Antidote", "Florasia", "4am", "Stepps", and "Already There". LP, Vinyl record album

A modern day spiritual jazz treasure – completely wonderful all the way through, and a set you might well file proudly next to your classics from John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders! The record's as epic as it promises in the title – a three volume journey in jazz, headed by tenorist Kamai Washington, who emerges here as a tremendous leader, a hell of a writer, and a rich jazz talent in every sense of the word – carefully steering a group of musicians through work that's searing, searching, and driven with a very cosmic vibe! Tunes are often modal, and never step too far outside, but always push the boundaries – and the instrumentation is a shifting mix of keyboards, piano, trombone, trumpet, bass, drums, and percussion – plus some vocal performances from Dwight Trible and Patrice Quinn. You might know Kamasi from his work with Flying Lotus and Thundercat – the latter of whom plays bass on this set – but the album's very much his own, and very much jazz all the way through. The kind of record we're mighty proud to be offering – with tracks that include "Askim", "The Next Step", "Rhythm Changes", "Miss Understanding", "Leroy & Lanisha", "Re Run", "Seven Prayers", "Malcolm's Theme", and "The Message". CD

A modern day spiritual jazz treasure – completely wonderful all the way through, and a set you might well file proudly next to your classics from John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders! The record's as epic as it promises in the title – a three volume journey in jazz, headed by tenorist Kamai Washington, who emerges here as a tremendous leader, a hell of a writer, and a rich jazz talent in every sense of the word – carefully steering a group of musicians through work that's searing, searching, and driven with a very cosmic vibe! Tunes are often modal, and never step too far outside, but always push the boundaries – and the instrumentation is a shifting mix of keyboards, piano, trombone, trumpet, bass, drums, and percussion – plus some vocal performances from Dwight Trible and Patrice Quinn. You might know Kamasi from his work with Flying Lotus and Thundercat – the latter of whom plays bass on this set – but the album's very much his own, and very much jazz all the way through. The kind of record we're mighty proud to be offering – with tracks that include "Askim", "The Next Step", "Rhythm Changes", "Miss Understanding", "Leroy & Lanisha", "Re Run", "Seven Prayers", "Malcolm's Theme", and "The Message". LP, Vinyl record album

Kamasi Washington opens the door to a bit more collaboration here – while also really managing to stay true to the vision that he's given us on his previous instant-classic albums! In just a short span of time, Kamasi has become a saxophone voice for a generation – linking past traditions with some of the more forward-thinking elements of the west coast underground – and even the presence of some bigger names on the record doesn't knock Washington from his visionary path! The set's grounded with work from drummers Ronald Bruner and Tony Austin, and bass from Stephen Bruner too – a great lineup that also includes trombone from Ryan Porter and piano from Cameron Graves – both artists you'll know and love for their own great records from the LA scene. And since we've mentioned the guests, the most likely partners here are Terrace Martin and Andre 3000 – the latter of whom is at his spiritual, meditative best – the new vibe he released on his own album – and other guests include George Clinton, Patrice Quinn, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Thundercat – on titles that include "Road To Self", "The Garden Path", "Lesnanu", "Asha The First", "The Visionary", "Dream State", "Prologue", and "Interstellar Peace". CD

Kamasi Washington opens the door to a bit more collaboration here – while also really managing to stay true to the vision that he's given us on his previous instant-classic albums! In just a short span of time, Kamasi has become a saxophone voice for a generation – linking past traditions with some of the more forward-thinking elements of the west coast underground – and even the presence of some bigger names on the record doesn't knock Washington from his visionary path! The set's grounded with work from drummers Ronald Bruner and Tony Austin, and bass from Stephen Bruner too – a great lineup that also includes trombone from Ryan Porter and piano from Cameron Graves – both artists you'll know and love for their own great records from the LA scene. And since we've mentioned the guests, the most likely partners here are Terrace Martin and Andre 3000 – the latter of whom is at his spiritual, meditative best – the new vibe he released on his own album – and other guests include George Clinton, Patrice Quinn, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Thundercat – on titles that include "Road To Self", "The Garden Path", "Lesnanu", "Asha The First", "The Visionary", "Dream State", "Prologue", and "Interstellar Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Kamasi Washington opens the door to a bit more collaboration here – while also really managing to stay true to the vision that he's given us on his previous instant-classic albums! In just a short span of time, Kamasi has become a saxophone voice for a generation – linking past traditions with some of the more forward-thinking elements of the west coast underground – and even the presence of some bigger names on the record doesn't knock Washington from his visionary path! The set's grounded with work from drummers Ronald Bruner and Tony Austin, and bass from Stephen Bruner too – a great lineup that also includes trombone from Ryan Porter and piano from Cameron Graves – both artists you'll know and love for their own great records from the LA scene. And since we've mentioned the guests, the most likely partners here are Terrace Martin and Andre 3000 – the latter of whom is at his spiritual, meditative best – the new vibe he released on his own album – and other guests include George Clinton, Patrice Quinn, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Thundercat – on titles that include "Road To Self", "The Garden Path", "Lesnanu", "Asha The First", "The Visionary", "Dream State", "Prologue", and "Interstellar Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure fantasticness from the great Kamasi Washington – a set that's much more compact than his sprawling Epic, but which has an equally wonderful vibe overall! The album features material that Washington performed at the Whitney Biennial – to accompany paintings by his sister – but the whole thing stands alone beautifully, with that free-flowing, always spiritual vibe that's made Washington one of the strongest young jazz talents to emerge in recent years! The music resonates strongly with the work of some of his key LA contemporaries – like Ronald Bruner Jr, Miles Mosley, Cameron Graves, and Thundercat – all of whom perform in the large ensemble – helping Kamasi's tenor soar to the skies on waves of collaborative joy. Washington composed, arranged, and even produced the record himself – and in some ways, the tightness of the performance makes the whole thing even more satisfying than Epic – as we hope you feel too, on titles that include "Desire", "Humility", "Truth", "Integrity", "Knowledge", and "Perspective". CD