A record that's definitely got plenty of layers, as Khalab works with a different collaborator on just about every track – which makes for a nicely varied vibe throughout the album! Tunes are often upbeat, but more complicated than clubby – layered with a nice sense of sound that has the collaborators' contributions shifting through subtle sonic patterns as the record moves on – in a lineup that includes "Romantic Loco" with Tenderlonious, "Drone Ra" with Yazz Ahmed & Alessi Obino, "Acid Vaccine" with Clap Clap, "Layers" with Joshua Idehan, "Mental Coach" with Gabin Dabire, "Female Side" with Tommaso Cappellato, and "Tunnel Of Jealousy" with Lady Blue Eyes. LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from Jimi Tenor and his Kabu Kabu group – an incredibly righteous set that's easily the best we've heard so far from the soulful ensemble! In addition to the spiritual jazz vibe of before, the group's also picked up some influences from African soul and jazz too – not just standard Afro Funk, but also some Ethiopian and Egyptian elements too – folded into Tenor's music like some mad meeting between Sun Ra, Fela Kuti, and Mulatu! Jimi's at the lead, handling tenor, flute, and a host of weird instruments – and the ensemble is heavy on percussion and horns, including some great trumpet work from Jukka Eskola of the Five Corners Quintet. Despite the monochromatic cover image, the album's got a really rich sound – a deeply soulful, deeply spiritual vibe that's totally wonderful – served up on titles that include "Grind", "Mogadishu Ave", "Mega Roots", "Aligned Planets", "Mystery Spot", "Floating Orange", "Fast Legs", "Higher Styx", and "Magical World". CD

Soul jazz vocalist Dwight Trible gathers the forces for this magnificent effort – an album pairing his emotionally rich vocals and singular spirit with a group of largely west coast allstars – and it's pure genius! The Life Force Trio, from what we can tell, is simply the moniker for a small army of free thinking guests from the deep funk, hip hop and turntablist underground assembled by Carlos Nino of Ammon Contact. The guest list includes SA-RA, J Dilla, Madlib, Daedelus, Scienze Of Life, Nate Morgan, Dwight's Build An Ark fellows and many others. It features some vocals Dwight has laid down for other albums, and some unreleased recordings – how they pair up so intricately well, with such fresh and varied production is a beautiful mystery. This record could have merely served as an interesting exercise in combined talents, but instead it absolutely soars, and could be remembered as Dwight's masterpiece! It may also be one of the best Ninja Tune albums ever! Tracks include "Equipoise" feat SA-RA, "Freedom Dance", "The Rhythm", "Waves Of Infinite Harmony", a fresh take on Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", "Love Is The Answer", "I Was Born On Planet Rock", "Constellations" feat Super Nova, "Celestial Blues" and more. The CD also includes a bonus disc on instrumentals! (Vocalists, New Grooves) CD

The 3rd album by The Dining Rooms – and the best so far! These guys have really matured from earlier outings – moving into a sophisticated realm of downtempo soundscapes crafted with a great deal of care, and which are put together with a lot more than simple tricks and gimmicks. There's loads of really solid tunes in here – sly numbers that sneak up on you with a subtle approach to the craft, gently burrowing in and taking root – somehow making the album that much more compelling overall. A number of tracks have some wonderfully languid vocals, some male and some female – and these tunes fall nicely next to instrumental numbers with a very evocative approach. Titles include "Anima Per Amarti", "Tunnel", "La Citta Nuda", "Fluxus", "Flamenco Sketches", "Dreamy Smiles", "You", "African Loungesters", and a nice cover of Sun Ra's "Astro Black"! CD

Moodymann takes a far deeper path on this addendum to his Black Mahogani set – introducing a heady soul jazz approach! The big surprise here is the mammoth, 18-minute "When She Follows" – a track that's anchored by the solid bass and stuttering house beats we'd expect from Moodymann – but the groove shoots skyward from there! It's a languorous, hypnotic blend of those primary elements, plus some sweet live drums, vibes and sporadic vocals that recall Sun Ra as much as they do the soulful house groove we were expecting! The soul jazz vibe continues on the flip, which features the far shorter but similarly jazzy groove on "Rectify", plus some bonus beats and a "When She Follows" reprise. The track list can be counted on one hand, but the sound is as spacious and fulfilling as can be – a big step for Moodymann, whom we hope will follow similar terrain on future releases! CD

The 3rd album by The Dining Rooms (in case you couldn't guess by the title!) – and the best so far! These guys have really matured from earlier outings – moving into a sophisticated realm of downtempo soundscapes crafted with a great deal of care, and which are put together with a lot more than simple tricks and gimmicks. There's loads of really solid tunes in here – sly numbers that sneak up on you with a subtle approach to the craft, gently burrowing in and taking root – somehow making the album that much more compelling overall. A number of tracks have some wonderfully languid vocals, some male and some female – and these tunes fall nicely next to instrumental numbers with a very evocative approach. Titles include "Anima Per Amarti", "Tunnel", "La Citta Nuda", "Fluxus", "Flamenco Sketches", "Dreamy Smiles", "You", "African Loungesters", and a nice cover of Sun Ra's "Astro Black"! CD

Beats, soul, and fresh style from Electric Wire Hustle – the trio of Mara TK, Taay Ninh and Myele Manzanza – a group from New Zealand with a soulful approach culled from a world of funky soul influences! There's a lot going on here, but like the best modern acts working with soul, funk and hip hop beatcraft, they make it work. There's something of a gritty, murky jazz & soul beat style that reminds of a bit of the benchmark Soulquarian productions of the late 90s, space synth from the Sa-Ra school and more going on here – but it's done with a personal, passionate stamp and unique style they can call their own. A mix of moody beatcraft and soulful vocals. Includes "Waters", "Gimme That Kinda", "Again", "Experience", "Walk On" feat Stacy Epps, "This World" feat Georgia Anne Muldrow, "Burn", "They Don't Want', "Tom Boy" and more. CD

Mindblowing work from IG Culture – the summation of all our previous expectations in his music, cast forward into bold new territory! The set's got the depth and majesty of a 70s spiritual jazz session, but still also bristles with the crackling cosmic touches we first loved in IG's work – a blend of righteous jazz and vocal themes, all infused with a new sort of energy for the 21st Century! Rhythms are sometimes soaring, sometimes skittish, and bits of hip hop and soul nestle in alongside spiritual jazz modes – with a collective feel that's as powerful as it is positive. IG's got some great help for the record too – including Chicago talents Dee Alexander on vocals, Ernest Dawkins on reeds, and Corey Wilkes on trumpet – plus Sacha Williamson on vocals, Josh Deep on vibes, and Tom Ashe on trumpet. Titles include covers of 70s classics "Girl U Need A Change Of Mind" and "Revelation" – plus "Black", "Consumed", "Any Questions", "Adjusted Perspectives", "B Free", "This Love", and "Ra Bops In Blacknuss". CD

Maybe the greatest music we've heard so far from Nostalgia 77 – a group who started many years back as a jazz-referenced project – but one who here are definitely a fully-fledged combo with a very spiritual vibe! As before, producer Benedic Lamdin is at the helm of the lineup – yet the production is minimal, and instead the whole thing has this instrumental flowering of group members in ways that really fit the spirit of music by Dollar Brand, Chris McGregor, and Sun Ra – who are all covered on the set alongside the group's own original compositions too! The horn work is especially wonderful – a blend of flute from Gareth Lockrane, tenor from James Allsop, and trumpet from Alex Bonney – held down by bass from longtime 77 stalwart Riaan Vosloo on bass, plus Tim Giles on drums, and Ross Stanley on piano and organ. Titles include "Dakar", "Ishmael", "The Sun Is Big", "Love In Outer Space", "Flower", and "The Hooper". (Jazz, New Grooves) CD

Maybe the greatest music we've heard so far from Nostalgia 77 – a group who started many years back as a jazz-referenced project – but one who here are definitely a fully-fledged combo with a very spiritual vibe! As before, producer Benedic Lamdin is at the helm of the lineup – yet the production is minimal, and instead the whole thing has this instrumental flowering of group members in ways that really fit the spirit of music by Dollar Brand, Chris McGregor, and Sun Ra – who are all covered on the set alongside the group's own original compositions too! The horn work is especially wonderful – a blend of flute from Gareth Lockrane, tenor from James Allsop, and trumpet from Alex Bonney – held down by bass from longtime 77 stalwart Riaan Vosloo on bass, plus Tim Giles on drums, and Ross Stanley on piano and organ. Titles include "Dakar", "Ishmael", "The Sun Is Big", "Love In Outer Space", "Flower", and "The Hooper". (Jazz, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Joyously romping grooves from Auteur Jazz – a combo who take the modal style of the 60s European scene, and infuse it with a few contemporary touches of their own! The group are a bit more open-ended than some of the other club jazz combos on the Ricky Tick label – willing to stretch out in some occasional exploratory modes or mellower moments, then step back with a hard-hitting groove to round things in place – often getting a surprisingly rich sound from their relatively small lineup, which is mostly based around reeds and piano from Antti Hynninen, but also features occasional other saxes, strings, keyboards, and percussion. Sara Sayaed sings on the tracks "Kill You Alive" and "Tomorrow Knows" – and other instrumental tracks include "Two Jaguars In Warsaw", "Marbles", "Who Struck John", "Gris Gris", "Uruguayo", and "Najgo". Japanese CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Aphorisms" and "Gui-Do". CD

There's no waiting for Zion here – as A08 deliver the goods right from the start – a very righteous blend of reggae, West African, and other styles – but all served up with a lean approach that takes the influences very far past their roots! The group were previously known as Africaine 808 – and maybe the condensing of their name is a reference to the way the styles are condensed here – brought down to just their basics, but then topped with contributions from an array of different guests from a variety of global sources. Titles include "Water", "Pomplemousse", "I Want More", "Kisumu Bound Bus (Nyatiti mix)", "Sunset", "Bubbles", "Life", and "Yamahaica". (Global Grooves, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A long-awaited full length set – one that finally brings together all of the amazing Tony Allen reworks done by the Honest Jon's label! These "chop up" tracks were originally issued over a range of limited 12" singles, and they're really amazing stuff – not just remixes of Tony Allen's work, but re-recordings and re-interpretations as well – a batch of music that stands amazingly well on its own, even if you're not a fan of Tony originally – and which takes his music into even more exotic territory than just Afro Funk! The choice of artists here is key to the set – as players from other Afro-influenced genres really take a new spin on Allen's music – and are allowed to strongly bring their own sounds to the set. Titles include "Ole (Cairo version)" by Salah Ragab, "Sankofa" by Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, "Kilode (rmx)" by Carl Craig, "Awa Na Re (rmx)" by Bonde De Role, "Mark's Disco Dub" by Mark Ernestus, "Reggae Land Dub" by Wareika Hill Sounds, "Samba" by Son Palenque De Colombia, "Kilode (rework)" by Wajeed, "Ole (rmx)" by Moritz Von Oswald, "Fuji Ouija" by Diplo, and "One Tree (TP's spirit of unity mix)" by Terrence Parker. (Global Grooves, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

(Rock, New Grooves) 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the more beat-heavy records we've ever heard from keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones – thanks to a range of live drums and programs from Maxwell Owin – a really great partner who helps Joe's music take off in all these new directions! The record's still coming from a jazz perspective, but also has a heavy influence from hip hop and more contemporary genres – especially on the vocal cuts, which feature contributions from Fatima, Rocks Foe, and Lex Amor. Yet there's also some great instrumentalists who join the proceedings too – and the set features guest bass clarinet from Shabaka Hutchings on one cut, and guest harp and flute from Marysia Osu and Yuis. Titles include "Pedal Bike", "Grief", "Ode To Reverbe", "4Seasons", "Don't Tip Me Over", "Do I Keep Going", "Rago's Garage", and "Ikigai". (Jazz, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime future jazz from Alex Attias – one of the key forces in the cosmic London scene of the 21st Century, stepping out here in a long-awaited full-length set that served up the full complement of his talents! As you'd expect from Alex, there's plenty of snapping beats and spacey keys on the set – an extrapolation of 70s funky jazz, into the spacier and headier realm that's been explored by Attias and the best of his contemporaries on recent singles. But over and above the high quality usual, there's also a farther-reaching set of rhythms and modes of expression going on here – as Alex uses the freedom of the full-length to work in modes that are sometimes subtler, sometimes more experimental – occasionally just grooving instrumentally, but also getting plenty of help from guest stars that include Vanessa Freeman, Jessica Lauren, Bembe Segue, Colonel Red, and Mark De Clive-Lowe. Tracks include "Help Me", "Closer To Me", "Future Jazz", "In The Jungle", "Back Home", "Everchanging Times", "Darker Side Of Light", "Angels", "Confusion", and "Transformation". CD

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Badbadnotgood have always been pretty damn great, actually – and never better than on album IV – a remarkable step forward for the group! As ever, they take inspiration from some of the best prog, jazz, funk (and proggy jazz funk...they blend) of the 70s and beyond, but weave it into fairly distinctive and genuinely fun modern sound. It's built to last, too –we're sure be able to come back to their work in a couple decades and it'll still work! IV finds them with the confidence to trade in some fairly subtle, smoothed out moments between to more boisterous ones, and they're more dexterous in the instrumentation – especially in the horns, keys and percussion – but some great vibes, strings, flute and more when the mood calls. Includes the great vocal track "Time Moves Slow" with Sam Herring of Future Islands, "And That, Too", "Lavender", "IV", "Chompy's Paradise", "Structure No. 3", "Cashmere", "Hyssops Of Love" and more. LP, Vinyl record album