Beautiful sounds from pianist Matthias Vogt – an artist we first came to know through his Re:Jazz projects many years back, but who's evolved here into a much more personal, sensitive artist! In a way, the shift is a bit like that of Bugge Wesseltoft – another artist schooled in jazz, but who worked in clubbier modes – and here Matthias is mostly out front on piano and keyboards, with just a bit of guitar and drums for backing. The songs are maybe a bit more tune-based than some of Bugge's recent work, even though they are mostly instrumental – apart from a few moments when voices come into play. Titles include "Shimmering Sea", "Cargo", "Dystopia", "Afraid Of The Future", "Down To Earth", "I Remember Being Loved", and "Quintessence". (New Grooves, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff – and a jazz remix project with a real difference! The difference here is that instead of taking older jazz tracks and re-doing them in dance music versions, the set takes original dance tracks and re-does them in jazz versions! The result is wonderful – a warm-voiced album that's one of our favorite releases of the year, and proof that there's a beating heart of soul in the hipster underground! The set brings together talents that are known for their work in bridging both worlds of music – and performers on the record include Till Bronner, Erik Truffaz, Nathan Haines, Matthias Vogt, and Oliver Bott. Instrumentation includes vibes, piano, trumpet, tenor, and lots of wonderful guest vocals – and the album features covers of "Cupid & Orlando" by Aromabar, "Release Your Mind" by Soulpatrol, "People Come Running" by Taxi, "Torch Of Freedom" by Cleveland Watkiss, "The Way I Swing" by DJ Matt, "Arena" by Kosma, and "Mental Strength" by Megashire. (New Grooves, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album