A tremendous step forward for Jazzanova – an album that's overflowing with classic soul touches, and done in a style we'd hardly have expected from the group a few years before! Jazzanova have always had an ear for older sounds in their music – which is something that first set them apart from the dancefloor pack – but this album's a really amazing achievement, and one that's put together with the solid sound of some lost late 60s sessions from Motown at points – or with some of the cooler sounds of European jazz of the 70s! There's still a 21st Century vibe to the music – a bit of crackle here and there that marks it as contemporary – but the backings also have tight orchestrations, occasional strings, and that perfectly put-together quality that still makes us marvel at old soul and jazz records after all these years. Vocals are sublime too – as the album features contributions from Phonte, Paul Randolph, Ben Westbeech, Jose James, Dwele, Bembe Segue, and Leon Ware – all of whom fit in perfectly, without any of the sort of random "vocals with sound system" feel you might get in another album of this type. Most tracks are co-written with the vocalist – which is an even hipper touch that ensures a depth of quality – and titles include "Gafiera", "Lucky Girl", "Little Bird", "I Can See", "Look What You're Doin To Me", "Let Me Show Ya", "Lie", and "So Far From Home" – plus a great cover of "Rockin You Eternally". 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

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A completely different side of Colombian music than you'd know from Discos Fuentes and some of the other mainstream outlets from that scene – as the tracks here are all from the contemporary underground, and represent a really rich flowering of creative grooves and soulful modes! In truth, most of this work might hail from any hip spot in the global underground – save for the fact that the lyrics are often in Spanish, and many tunes have some slight reference to older musical modes – sometimes an acoustic element mixed in with more electronic instrumentation, sometimes a more direct reference! The quality of the tracks is wonderful – a really strong surprise to our ears, as we never would have discovered this music otherwise – and it represents a really great alternative so some of the more staid, often boring attempts to create a global fusion of elements in the mainstream. Titles include "Cada Paso" by Liannia, "Cumbia Lobina (ext mix)" by Dragao featuring Nidia Gongora, "Aquazero" by Systema Solar featuring Pedro Ramaya, "Oyele" by Jimena Angel, "Cuando Canto Grito" by Cerrero featuring Lucia Pulido, "El Leopardo" by El Leopardo, "Mujer Divina" by Salsangroove, "Gualayo" by Radio Rebelde Soundsystem, "La Negra Y El Fantasma" by Bareto, "Nunca Termina" by David Caneva Akle, "Manana Sera" by Ruzto, and "De Donde Vengo Yo" by Los Transatlanticos featuring Pilar Matarola. CD

A really great record from the Melbourne scene – a record that's got kind of a "jazz plus" vibe – in that it mixes live jazz instrumentation with some work on edits and a few electric touches – all in a style that's very much like some of our favorite London work in recent years! Don Glori heads the group on bass and keyboards – but the sound is served up in a really well-crafted blend of saxophones, Fender Rhodes, and lots of great percussion – sometimes with vocals, but often used more like an instrument than a lyrical delivery system – on tracks that are nice and long, and resonate with a mix of soulful and spiritual touches! Titles include "Voyager", "Fly Low, "Dawn Calling", "Pachinko King", and "After Hours". LP, Vinyl record album

Two separate DJ mixes – includes tracks by Subsystem, Kings Of Tomorrow, Don Carlos, Stephane Malca, Andricka Hall, Erik Kupper, Delicious Inc, and Silicone Soul. CD