... LP, Vinyl record album

As any reader of these pages will know, we're nuts about Ennio Morricone – the greatest Italian soundtrack composer ever, and quite possibly one of the greatest composers to have ever walked the face of this planet! Here, a similarly Morricone-mad bunch of folks pay tribute to the maestro, by remixing tracks from his classic soundtracks of the 60s and 70s! Titles include "The Man With The Harmonica" by Apollo Four Forty, "Chi Mai" by Nightmares On Wax, "Giocoso, Gioioso" by Groove Corporation, "La Bambola Come Maddalena" by Sofa Surfers, "La Lucertola" by De Phazz, "Clan Of The Sicilians" by DJ Dick of Rocker's Hi-Fi, "Il Grande Silencio" by Thievery Corporation, and "Belinda May" by Fantastic Plastic Machine. 13 tracks in all! (Soundtracks, New Grooves) CD

A heady blend of jazz and larger elements – served up by Austin Peralta in a style that's a bit ahead of its time! The music here recalls recent sounds from the London scene, or some of the post-jazz experiments of International Anthem – but Peralta also takes things back to earlier spiritual expressions too – recalling Max Roach with strings, the work of Chris Bowden, and some other favorite spots along the way. The set features some especially great reed work – by Zane Musa on alto and Ben Wendel on tenor and soprano – and there's some nice reworking of core sounds by Strangeloop, and even a guest appearance by the Cinematic Orchestra too! Titles include "The Underwater Mountain Odyssey", "Capricornus", "Lotus Flower", "Ode To Loev", and "Algiers". 2LP version includes four bonus tracks from a BBC session! (Jazz, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Music from 808 State, Electribe 101, Underworld, Hardfloor, Leftfield, Empirion, Rhythim Is Rhythim, Capricorn, Orbital, Green Velvet, LTJ Bukem, and more. CD

Beautiful stuff! This is a sparkling collection of modern lounge material – compiled by the folks at Stereo Deluxe from a host of different labels, all put together with a perfect vibe that's sure to satisfy fans of the old stuff as much as the new. Although most of this music was created in the past few years, it's filled with oodles of older elements – like bubbling Hammond organ, sweet Fender Rhodes piano, washes of soulful strings, and touches of bossa beats. More than just a slap-dash licensing effort, this is a wickedly conceived set with a strong feel throughout. Includes "Return Of The Coconut Groove" by Trio Eletrico, "Dis Poem" by Mutabaruka, "2ter Tag" by Siedg Der Liebe, "Reincarnation" by Pablo, "Elevator" by Jaffa, "Papdam" by Yonderboi, "Stories" by Airfix, "Ambrosia" by A Reminiscent Drive, and "Maria Quiet" by Astrud Gilberto. 15 tracks in all! CD

Very groovy! This series never stops being great – and this 7th volume is a stunning set of mellow jazzy grooves, with kind of a slight 60s easy bent to them! The list of tracks is very nice, with many light lilting groovers – including a number with a good Brazilian feel to them. Titles include "Misturada" by Kjeli Ohman, "A Starlett For You" by Andre Luterau, "Samba Para Norma" by Joel Wanroogenbroek, "Summertime" by Herb Alpert, "We've Only Just Begun" by Frank Cunimondo Trio, "Take Seven" by Roger Roger, "Bim Bom" by Silvio Silvera, "Berimbau" by Americo Bellotto, and "Kidnapping" by Karlheinz Schafer. Nice cover, too! (Funky Compilations, New Grooves) CD