A fantastic second album from Dee-Lite – a set hat has the group maybe not needing to declare their identity as strongly as on the debut – which leaves Towa Tei and the trio to just slide right into the groove with effortless ease! There's few folks who can mix deeper house roots with catchier club like this – and even after the decades, the album holds up wonderfully – playful, but never too silly – and with some funky elements that were years ahead of their time, and which maybe sound better in the hands of Towa than any of the cliched copycats. Includes the titles "Pussycat Meow", one of our personal favorites – plus "Runaway", "Fuddy Duddy Judge", "The Dreams Are Fine", "Electric Shock", "Two Clouds Above Nine", and "Heart Be Still". (Soul, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

There's never been a better bit of pop throwaway dancefloor fodder ever! Sure, these guys were blaring out of every cheap radio at the time, and it was just about impossible to walk into a shopping mall without hearing "Groove Is In The Heart" for about 5 years after the album came out – but to us, that was a great thing, and the record represents one of the high points in pop music of the past few decades. Thanks to some skillful sampling by Towa Tei, the group were grounded in a rich history of funk, house, disco, soul, and Brazilian influences – all of which they managed to blend with a postmodern perfection that other groups could only ever dream of! The big hits are certainly very familiar, but the whole album's a delight – and tracks include "Who Was That?", "Smile On", "Try Me On . . . I'm Very You", "World Clique", "ESP", and "Good Beat". (Soul, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful work from Towa Tei – an artist who's lost none of the charms that first made us fall in love with him when he was a member of Deee Lite! As with his earlier solo material, this set's got a wonderful combination of sounds, samples, and styles – that quality that has Towa maybe bringing forward some of the best spirits of the initial Japanese electro pop generation, but fused with a more dynamic sense of rhythm that he picked up while part of the scene in New York in the early 90s! All the elements crash together with non-stop action and a real sense of sonic delight – and titles include "Beautiful", "My Baby", "Sea Change", "Immunitas", "Ear Candy", "Hold On", and "OPA". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album by Cinematic Orchestra – and a Ninja Tune classic! The group lives up to its name here, witth sweeping soundscapes that build slowly and set the mood just so. They seem to be exploring a slightly more jazzy/soulful route this go 'round, and are joined on 2 tracks by soul diva Fontella Bass. Roots Manuva contributes vocals on another number, but his contribution comes off as more of a recitation than a rap, and it works beautifully! The tracks are all fairly lengthy, none clocking in under 6 minutes, evolving and building as they do, our favorites include"All That You Give", "Burnout" and "Everyday" – and other tracks include "Flite", "Evolution" and "Man With The Movie Camera". LP, Vinyl record album

A really joyous set of grooves – one that seems to begin in ambient territory, but which bubbles forth with a warm sort of Mediterranean clubby vibe once it gets going! There's qualities here that take us back to older Italian grooves from a few decades back – but the execution is leaner, and far less commercial – with a great focus on beats, basslines, and keyboard parts throughout! Titles include "Nun Fa Niente", "Damecuta (LP mix)", "Amaremai", "Napoliterranea", and "Intrasatta". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Aphex Twin, Charles Webster, Juno Reactor, B12, Creature, the Chi Lites, Julee Cruise, the Orb, Thomas Fehlmann, Electric Chairs, Joachim Spieth, FFWD & Schneider TM vs. KPT.Michi.Gan. (Funky Compilations, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album