A fantastically soulful delight! The CD features a continuous mix of tracks handled by New York's supreme maestro Ron Trent – a perfectly blended and expertly selected batch of spiritual house, strident soul, and jazzy grooves. Not a bit of BS in the mix, and lots of rare sides lifted from singles on the Giant Step DJ pool – solid all the way through, and cutting a swath through the garbage to lift out the future of soul and club music! Titles include "Lamentations (you son)" by Carl Hancock Rux, "Future Love (original)" by Atlantis feat Naomi, "Stars (Tauriva mix)" by Jiva, "Elevation (Shelter late night voc)" by Blaze, "Naima" by Hipnotic, "Saturday Night Experience (Ron Trent mix)" by Jody Watley, "Rise (Sentinel Dome mix)" by Richard Worth, "Jingo (Aquamarine mix)" by Kalawang, "Do You Know" and "Holiday (DJ Deep & original)" by Donnie, and "When It Rains (Restless Soul rmx)" by Jeymes Samuel. CD

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

A short but beautiful set from the incredible Peven Everett – 5 tunes that are a bit mellower and more laidback than usual – and which feature Peven trading his house groove for an equally wonderful blend of snapping beats, stepping basslines, and warm keyboard lines! Peven's vocals really come to the forefront of the mix – singing with that instant classic style that makes him a key heir to the Chicago soul lineage of Donny Hathaway, and captivating us instantly with his personal and intimate approach! Titles include "Bad Girl", "Heart Strings", "Say You Will", "Make It Better", and "Don't Let This Be". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) CD

Fantastic sounds from Flying Lotus – an artist who just keeps on pushing past any conventional expectations, to a point where his music is almost a genre unto itself! The record's got this very tripped-out sort of vibe – very much in keeping with the image on the cover – and while many others are exploring this territory of late, few ever even get close to the right sort of mix that's going on here – subtle elements of soul, funk, jazz, hip hop, and maybe a million other influences – all flowing through the double-length space of the set, as it Flying Lotus redefines the sound of soul in the modern age. The set's got guest work from Thundercat, Shabazz Palaces, David Lynch, George Clinton, Anderson Paak, Little Dragon, Solange, and others – and titles include "Post Requisite", "Takashi", "Spontaneous", "More", "Burning Down The House", "Actually Virtual", "Find Your Own Way Home", "The Climb", "Debbie Is Depressed", "Black BAloons Reprise", and "Land Of Honey". CD

Fantastic sounds from Flying Lotus – an artist who just keeps on pushing past any conventional expectations, to a point where his music is almost a genre unto itself! The record's got this very tripped-out sort of vibe – very much in keeping with the image on the cover – and while many others are exploring this territory of late, few ever even get close to the right sort of mix that's going on here – subtle elements of soul, funk, jazz, hip hop, and maybe a million other influences – all flowing through the double-length space of the set, as it Flying Lotus redefines the sound of soul in the modern age. The set's got guest work from Thundercat, Shabazz Palaces, David Lynch, George Clinton, Anderson Paak, Little Dragon, Solange, and others – and titles include "Post Requisite", "Takashi", "Spontaneous", "More", "Burning Down The House", "Actually Virtual", "Find Your Own Way Home", "The Climb", "Debbie Is Depressed", "Black BAloons Reprise", and "Land Of Honey". LP, Vinyl record album

A double disc CD & DVD package showcasing one of our favorite souful acts on the contemporary landscape – Nicolay & Phonte's brilliant and ever-evolving Foreign Exchange project! Dear Friends showcases an acoustic concert performed for a private audience –- the great touring lineup that includes Zo!, Sy Smith, and singer/songwriter Jeanne Jolly. From the get go, we've been impressed by both the original songwriting from Foreign Exchange as well as the way they filter diverse influences into their own unique vibe – and this acoustic setting really gets to the heart and soul of it. This is an essential document for fans of the group, but it's also a fine intro if you're just now coming aboard! The live set includes "Fight For Love", "All Roads", "Take Off The Blues", "Lose Your Way", "Greatest Weapon Of All Time", a nice cover of James Taylor's "Something In The Way She Moves", "Laughing At Your Plans", "Daykeeper", "House Of Cards", Zo!'s "Greatest Weapon Of All Time" and "I Wanna Know". Also includes 2 new studio tracks: "Steal Away" feat vocals by Jeanny Jolly and piano by Zo! and "All The Kisses" feat Amber & Paris Strother of KING. (Neo Soul, New Grooves) CD

Richly complex later work from Larry "Mr Fingers" Heard – proof that he wasn't just a simple house musician on the Chicago scene! The album's a great illustration of the bridge that Heard helped provide from original house towards some of the deeper, more complicated modes that took hold once the 21st Century approached – a style that was especially important in paving the way for some of the bigger names from the London scene, especially those most strongly influenced by jazz. Heard's keyboard lines here are supposedly improvised over rhythm programs – and while they're not as openly jazzy as you might expect, they're certainly a far distance from basic house music – making the album an adventurous instrumental affair for the time! Titles include "Snowcaps", "One Three Five Seven", "Midnight Movement", and "Dolphin Dream". (House Music, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Banging acid house tracks from Mike Hitman Wilson. (House Music, New Grooves) 12-inch, Vinyl record

Reese Sunderson's moving into slightly uplifting territory here, with nice soulful vocals over this house-y number that only really qualifies as techno from it's pedigree. (Soul, New Grooves) 12-inch, Vinyl record

A tremendous full length debut from ISoul8 – a record that's billed by Phil Asher in the notes as representing everything that was once soulful in house music – but which we think offers even more than that! The album's certainly got a housey feel overall – but the styles here aren't just straightforward club, and often show some of the more farther-reaching modes of the group's Sonar Kollektiv contemporaries. There's great keyboards, slightly complex rhythm patterns, and a way of coming at the groove that shows plenty of influence from the recent London scene – but also that deeper soulfulness that Asher refers to – a sense of depth that comes through especially on the vocals! Guests include Valerie Etienne, Osunlade, Just One, Diamondancer, Marcus Begg, Paul Randolph, and Kaidi Tatham – and titles include "Clover", "Give It Up", "So Simple", "Free", "How I Feel", "Just The Way I Like It", "No Longer Fear", "The Vow", "On My Heart", and "A Silent Force". CD

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

Classic first generation Chicago acid house tracks, on Trax, from Marshall Jefferson. Get ready to Jack! (House Music, New Grooves) 12-inch, Vinyl record

Classic old school Chicago house produced by Thompson & Lenoir. (Soul, New Grooves) 12-inch, Vinyl record

The first-ever full length set we've seen from Daniel Maunick – an artist who you might know from his remix work as Venom, or for his ties to the Incognito universe – given that Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick is his father! Yet the sound here is definitely Daniel's own – rootsier than some of his remix work, but with the feature future-sounding elements of those tracks too – almost a globe's worth of sonic elements, fused with more contemporary keyboards and beats – providing a great bridge between some of the 12" releases of the Far Out label, and directions they might take in the future. The percussion on some tracks is especially nice – and maybe ties Daniel's music to some of the global house currents at the start of this century – on titles that include "Sombra Do Dragao", "Until The End", "A Vicious Circle", "One Nite Stand", "Red Doves", "Orbitus", "As Light Fades", and "Amnesia Haze". CD

Miguel Migs has often skewed more towards the soulful side of the house and otherwise club groove sound, and he does so on an even deeper level with Outside The Skylike! This one features a diverse roster of guests – and an impressive one, too – Meshell Ndegeocello, Bebel Gilberto, Capleton, Lisa Shaw, Evelyn Champagne King, Aya, Lisa Shaw and more! Really impressive work from Miguel, with timeless club soul influences going into inventive club grooves of his own unique inspiration. Includes "Tonight" and "Close Your Eyes" feat Meshell Ndegeocello, "Breakdown" and "Lose Control" with Lisa Shaw, "The Distance and "Don't Stop" feat Aya, "Life" feat Half Pint, "Changin'"f eat Sonny J Jameson, "The System" feat Capleton, "Getaway" with Georg Levin, "Zuzu" with Bebel Gilberto and more. CD

The first proper Mr Scruff full length in more than half a decade – and as you might have gathered from the boisterous breakbeat funk and more soulful undercurrents of recent 12"s – he's broadened his sonic tapestry a bit! Ninja Tuna is the namesake title for his own imprint at his longtime home Ninja Tune – and if he's not out to break the mold on tried and true formulas, he does a fine job of spinning some engrossing soundscapes! Funk, soul, house and bedrock hip hop beats meet masterfully, and a couple of the best tracks are inflected with more accessible groove via some excellent guest vocalists – including Alice Russell and Anreya Tatiani, and Quantic and Pete Simpson drop by, too! Titles include "Test The Sound", "Music Takes Me Up", "Donkey Ride" featuring Quantic, "Hairy Bumpercress", "Whiplash", "Nice Up The Function", "Bang The Floor", "Get On Down", "Hold On" with Andreya Triana, "Give Up To Get", "Kalimba", "This Way" feat Pete Simpson" and "Stockport Carnival". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most soulful housey sounds your likely to find in the later 00s – a warm & grooving Destination from Anthony Nicholson! Destination has numbers flavored by smoothed out keys, beats more lightly percolated gems as well as spacier, more thumpingly percussive numbers – with uncommonly soulful vocals and a more live feel than so much of the club ready grooves out there. Anthony's on keys, vocals, drums, percussion & programming with assistance from Chris Robb on keys and bass, Matt Cashdollar on sax, Will Kurk on keys, guitar & vocals, Jrod Indigo on vocals, and others. Titles include "Love Is Everything", "Fallin", "So Good (Feel The Joy)", "Your Love", "Never", "Destination", "Hot Sauce & Drama", "Robot Disco", "Black Galaxy Suite", "Go" and more. CD

A massive record – and an instant legend the day it was released! Masters At Work host the beautiful meeting of a host legendary artists – Roy Ayers, George Benson, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Jocelyn Brown, Vince Montana, and others – all united in a magical session that brings Latin firmly back to the dancefloor with the power and majesty of the best 70s recordings! The whole thing's amazing – a fantastic mix of Latin, funk, jazz, and house that's inspired a whole new generation of musicians – and which has still yet to be duplicated years later! Includes the massive remake of "I Am the Blackgold of the Sun", plus "Runaway", "Sweet Tears", and the great cover of Bob James' "Nautilus". CD

Classic Marshall Jefferson acid house, with the full 11 minute version of the a-side. (House Music, New Grooves) 12-inch, Vinyl record

Hip stuff, and a great mix of soul, funk, jazz, and hip hop. Ursula Rucker sings vocals on a number of tracks, and the record spans a number of styles without stretching itself too thin. In fact, the real appeal of the set is its fresh ability to move around through a number of influences – keeping the groove alive on tracks like "Getting Into It", "Season's Change", "The Reason", "Jimmy Leans Back", "Uptown", and a remake of "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) CD

Tracks from DJ Fudge, Hardsoul, DJ Technic, Junior Jack, Hippsoul featuring Chill, Black Eyed Peas, Omar, Jason Hates Jazz, Thommy Davis, Jamie Lewis & Michael Watford, Martin Solveig, and more. CD