Back in the day, we never would have thought that the film Tron would have had such a great revival in the 21st Century – but then again, we also might never have guessed that a group like Daft Punk would make the movie sound so great! At some level, the 80s retro fusion of the film is the perfect setting for Daft Punk – as it allows them to really play well with all their classic keyboard styles, while also pushing things with a nice sense of drama too – really surprising us when the larger orchestrations bring just the right touch to the electric elements at the core. Titles include "Solar Sailer", "Disc Wars", "Rectifier", "Outlands", "Rinzler", "Arena", "Armory", "The Son Of Flynn", "Arrival", "CLU", and "Derezzed". CD

An incredible full length set from Amp Fiddler – and the kind of record that's well worth all the hype it's been getting! Think of this one as Stevie Wonder for the 21st Century – keyboards and vocals taking off in a rocketship for the future, yet packed to the brim with all the best influences from the past! The whole set's got an amazingly well-crafted sound that fuses older funk, future jazz, and cosmic soul into one unified vision that's sure to be one of the biggest influences on soul music for years to come. Tremendous stuff – and the kind of record that can only be best described by a listen. After 3 seconds, you'll be hooked – trust us! Titles include "Dreamin", "I Believe In You", "Soul Divine", "Love & War", "Eye To Eye", and "This Is How". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) CD

An instant classic from Five Corners Quintet – acoustic jazz played with a dancefloor groove, and the perfect summation of a brilliant run of initial singles! The FCQ return jazz to its grooviest roots – played live, without processing or electronics, and able to hit a snapping groove that takes us back to the days when Blue Note and Prestige got plenty of play on the radio and jukebox! Most tracks roll along in a modal or waltzing mode that shares a lot with the best Nicola Conte projects of recent years – but the group have also got a real feel for their own tonal colors, effortlessly shading in each space and corner of the tunes with a sublime blend of ringing vibes, dancing piano, and beautifully-toned horn passages. Mark Murphy guests on vocals on the tracks "This Could Be The Start Of Something", "Before We Say Goodbye", and "Jamming" – and Okou sings on "Blue Cycles" and "Case Study" – leaving the remaining instrumentals "Trading Eights", "Interlope", "Straight Up", "Three Corners", "Lighthouse", and "Unsquare Bossa". US CD features the bonus tracks "Taxi Driver". CD

Gerardo Frisina always seems to give us joyful sounds – but this time around, that might be the case more than ever – as the album's overflowing with all sorts of lively rhythms that are peppered with jazz-based instrumentation! Things are less hard-driving than some of Frisina's earlier work – which allows more space for things to seep into the grooves in a really nice way – warm Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, and sweet solos on saxes, flute, and trumpet! As always, Frisina's the maestro at the helm – working rhythms both acoustic and electric – but there's also a fair bit of guest players who provide the live instrumentation – on tracks that include plenty of Gerardo's own songs, plus takes on tracks by Joao Donato, Waltel Branco, and Yusef Lateef. Titles include "Misterioso", "Hombre", "Naquela Base (new blend)", "On Again (album version)", "Hechizo Magico", "Dansi Na/Mahaba", "Parkview Theme", "Duende", and "Africa (Brazil)". CD

Gerardo Frisina always seems to give us joyful sounds – but this time around, that might be the case more than ever – as the album's overflowing with all sorts of lively rhythms that are peppered with jazz-based instrumentation! Things are less hard-driving than some of Frisina's earlier work – which allows more space for things to seep into the grooves in a really nice way – warm Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, and sweet solos on saxes, flute, and trumpet! As always, Frisina's the maestro at the helm – working rhythms both acoustic and electric – but there's also a fair bit of guest players who provide the live instrumentation – on tracks that include plenty of Gerardo's own songs, plus takes on tracks by Joao Donato, Waltel Branco, and Yusef Lateef. Titles include "Misterioso", "Hombre", "Naquela Base (new blend)", "On Again (album version)", "Hechizo Magico", "Dansi Na/Mahaba", "Parkview Theme", "Duende", and "Africa (Brazil)". LP, Vinyl record album

The deepest record we've heard so far from London's Sean Khan – and that's saying a lot, as we really loved his previous albums! Sean got his start on the broken beat scene a number of years back, and has slowly been evolving into more of a jazz-based artist – which he hits fantastically here in the company of the legendary Hermeto Pascoal, who plays Fender Rhodes and melodica on the record too! But honestly, even without Hermeto, Sean's pretty fantastic on his own – as his alto sax lines have this beautifully sharp edge, as does his work on flute and soprano – these soulful currents that almost rival recent work by Nat Birchall and some of his contemporaries. Other players include Ivan Conti on drums and Jim Mullin on electric guitar – and Heidi Vogel sings on two tracks, and Sabrina Mahleiros on one more. Titles include "Moment Of Collapse", "Waltz For Hermeto", "Palmares Fantasy", "Montreux", "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser", "The Blonde", and "The Conversation". CD

Superb! The first full length album by Les Hommes is well worth waiting for – as the group spent a few years in the trenches, coming up with a uniquely groovy modern bossa sound – laid out over a handful of excellent 12" singles, finally getting the chance to take full shape on this great debut album. The sound here is inspired by Lalo Schifrin, Walter Wanderley, and Quincy Jones in the 60s – vibes, organ, moog, and snare drum – all dancing around with a tremendously catchy appeal – both atmospheric and melodic, with all the classic appeal of a rare bossa tune from a classic 60s soundtrack! Titles include "WeeGee", "Pousada Do Amor", "The Fourth Homme", "Vista Do Mar", "Hommage", "The Way Out", and "Boogaloogalick". CD

More than just "works" from Sleep Walker – a collection of singles, remixes, and new tracks – all representing some of the best work from this ultra-hip club jazz combo! As with their full albums, the style here is jazz-based at the outset – played in a classic mode that has plenty of echoes of Impulse Records during the Coltrane generation – but forged into a tighter, leaner groove for the 21st Century – a mode that's sometimes rhythmic and aimed at the dancefloor, yet which never loses any sense of depth or creativity from a jazz perspective! Saxophonist Masato Nakamura contributes some incredibly great tenor and soprano work to the tunes – and Hajimi Yoshizawa's modal piano lines pulsate tremendously throughout. A few cuts are remixes, but still very much embody the Sleep Walker sound – with new instrumentation, as the group makes a live jazz take on the tracks they're supposedly remixing! Titles include "Quiet Dawn", "Wind", "River Of Love", "Eclipse", "Big Escape", and "Waltz For Moe (new take)" – plus Sleep Walker versions of "Don't Believe A Word" by Victor Davies, "Sim Ou Nao" by Jazzinho, and "Pathways" by Jazztronik. CD

An eclectic set from UFO, with their mad blend of styles including spy theme thrillers, angular (but still groovy!) jazziness and even some nice soundtracky very French mod bits! The album features 12 numbers in all, including "His Name Is. . .", "Nica's Dream", "Spy's Spice (Mon Espionne)", "Dice For A Chance", "Planet Plan (edit)", "Waltz (Le Serpent Rouge)", "Picaresque Eye", "Friends – We'll Be" and "The Moving Shadows". LP, Vinyl record album