A jazzy group, but one that's not straight jazz either – as they work with a strongly rhythmic vibe that's somewhere between classic fusion and some of the contemporary sounds we love on Schema Records – maybe no surprise as this combo also hails from the Italian scene as well! There's a great mix of keyboards in the music – Korg Sigma, Fender Rhodes, Yamaha CP70, and Farfisa Synthorchestra – the latter of which sounds especially great, and gives the music some great spacey touches around the edges. Rhythms are all live, and have some great currents from classic boogie and late 70s club – but the vocals on most tracks bring in a special sort of vibe, in part because the singers shift, and the lyrics are in Italian. Titles include "Malavita", "Fuga Finale", "Citta Futura", "Napoli Visionaria", and "Oro Di Miele". LP, Vinyl record album

A survey of The Music Scene through the eyes, mind and fingers of longstanding hip hop and spacey beatcraft guru Blockhead! Blockhead's way with a sample has been one of the reasons we've been on board so long, and it's as unpretentiously hypnotic as ever here – staying defiantly headnodding in a groove – while subtly innovating and floating in myriad stylistic variations without hitting you over the head with them. Solid stuff. Titles include "It's Raining Clouds", "The Music Scene", "Only Sequences Change", "Which One Of You Jerks Drank My Arnold Palmer?", "Attack The Doctor", "The Prettiest Sea Slug", "The Daily Routine", "Pity Party", "Farewell Spaceman" and more. CD

A classic set from one of the best groups of the downtempo generation – and one of the few whose work we still turn to all these years later! The Dining Rooms move in the same space as early Kruder & Dorfmeister or Mo Wax, but also bring in some jazzier elements at times too – just the smallest kernels of the sorts of sounds that would later land them on Schema Records – but used in really nice ways, to give their music a lot more depth than most of their contemporaries. Titles include "Chorus Of Flames", "Sei Tu", "Pure & Easy", "Invocation", "Cosi Ti Amo", "Luzy", "Maria", and "False Start". CD

Cosmic soul from Danish singer Astrid Engberg – an artist with a voice that's already great on its own, but sound seven better amidst the album's slightly spacey, slightly jazzy instrumentation! The record has a very contemporary vibe – as although Astrid's vocals could work in an old school soul setting, they seem even better here with the moody electric crackle of the backings – sometimes served up by just a trio, but featuring guest work from the great string master Miguel Atwood Ferguson on a number of tracks – and other appearances from Moo Latte, Maria Dybbroe, and Tobias Wiklund as well. Titles include "Spirits Came Told Me", "Chains", "Loving Contemplation", "I Should Care", "Adaptation", "Body Follows Body", and "Blue Rise & The Fall". LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely stuff! The work of singer Cesara Evoria is remixed by a host of modern club talents – no surprise, as her best tracks of the past few years have been getting plenty of action on the 12" front – taking her from the world music scene into the clubs, with very surprising results! The record is really pretty darn wonderful overall – appealing to fans of a modern groove, but touched with all the depth, soul, and history of Cesara's fantastic voice. Titles include "Angola" remixed by Pepe Braddock, "Miss Perfumado" remixed by 4 Hero, "Nutridinha" remixed by Kerri Chandler, "Besame Mucho" remixed by Senor Coconut, "Angola" remixed by Carl Craig, "Negue" remixed by Chris Prolific, "Sangue De Beironia" remixed by Francois K, and "Bondade E Maldade" remixed by Osunlade. (Global Grooves, New Grooves) CD

A really different setting for the saxophone of Afro Funk legend Femi Kuti – as instead of working with a large group, he just blows here alongside the keyboard creations of Robert Hood – in a mode that makes for a really wonderful album all the way through! The tracks are each just titled "Variations" – and Femi's performance definitely seems improvised throughout, and set to these keyboard heavy grooves created by Hood – who also delivers lots of great keyboard solos too! There's a lot more jazz here than you'd expect on a Femi Kuti album – yet the set also nods to some Afro-styled grooves at points too – a real delight over the course of the eight tracks on the set. CD

A really different setting for the saxophone of Afro Funk legend Femi Kuti – as instead of working with a large group, he just blows here alongside the keyboard creations of Robert Hood – in a mode that makes for a really wonderful album all the way through! The tracks are each just titled "Variations" – and Femi's performance definitely seems improvised throughout, and set to these keyboard heavy grooves created by Hood – who also delivers lots of great keyboard solos too! There's a lot more jazz here than you'd expect on a Femi Kuti album – yet the set also nods to some Afro-styled grooves at points too – a real delight over the course of the eight tracks on the set. LP, Vinyl record album

Ronald Langestraat has been in more jazz-based territory in the past, but here he adds in a bit more rhythm and opens up a groove – quite a surprise for this octogenarian musician! Ronald sings on many tracks, with this cool raspy voice that slides in and out of the grooves nicely – as keyboards dance over beats, often with a spacey quality that's got a bit of an 80s vibe, which is in keeping with Langestraat's work during that decade. Titles include the long groover "Mambo Magic" – hardly a Latin track, but one that has nice keyboards over skittish beats – next to other cuts that include "Energy In Space", "Working Every Day", "Alpha Centauri", "Freedom", and "Chet Baker". (Jazz, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty nice mix of tunes that falls under the retro lounge/bossa and acid jazz side of things – put together by the folks in 45 Dip, and featuring 2CDs worth of material groovy enough to make any party chill out with a solid soul vibe. The overall presentation is in that trendy Hed Kandi mode – but that also means that you're getting a good portion of semi-hit tunes at a nice low price, all in one sexy package. Titles include "What Do People Do All Day" by Aim, "Epoca" by Gotan Project, "Twilight Reservation" by Tim Love Lee, "Sweet Revenge" by Bobby Trafalgar, "Coming Out Of The Sky" by Space Hoppa, "Crazy Lounge" by Yasmine Tamara, "Beach Boy" by Disjam, "Tippy Tippy Toe" by Crackpot, "Green Tomatoes (wild turkey mix)" by 45 Dip, "East Side Story" by Soul Drummers, "Zambumba" by Zuco 103, "Carnaval Do Sao Vincente (LP mix)" by Cesaria Evora, and "Saturday Morning TV" by Sam Paglia. 29 tracks on 2CDs! CD