... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Killer grooves from this hip Japanese combo – one who comes from the same scene as the mighty Indigo Jam Unit, but with a slightly different groove! ASP have lots of heavy rhythms on the bottom – deeply soulful acoustic bass, snapping drums, and a great mix of piano, moog, and organ in the middle – topped on most tracks by vocals from the lovely Azu, who mostly sings in Japanese, but with a swinging quality that's like a hip jazz singer from back in the 60s. Most numbers have a very sharp punch in the rhythm, and loads of acoustic instrumentation – which puts the record strongly in the club jazz camp, although with a slight mod twist at times. Titles include "The Same Place As Yesterday", "Safari Line", "You Are Shiny", "Smile", and a few other titles in Japanese. CD

A jazz trio, but one who bring something else to the mix as well – as they blend in lots of other elements with their core energy on drums, bass, and keyboards! The keyboards themselves range nicely – acoustic and electric piano, plus other electronics too – and there's a bit of alto and tenor on the set, guest guitar, and use of vocals in Portuguese that almost give the record the vibe of Brazilian music at points – while at other times, the music moves farther from jazz with more of a focus on the groove, then swings back nicely on the next track. Titles include "Black Mica", "Tilia", "Pedra Mae", "Punctum No 2", "Ressonancia", and "Giesta". LP, Vinyl record album

Gianluca Petrella has come a long way since his initial work as a straight jazz trombonist – and has really risen up with his Cosmic Renaissance project as a bold messenger of righteous energy in the 21st Century! The set's just an EP, but it's got a flowing, spiritual quality that makes the whole thing feel much fuller overall – core instrumentation from Petrella on a variety of instruments, and a small combo that features percussion from Riccardo Di Vinci and trumpet from Mirco Rubegni – but with key work from guests who include Soweto Kinch on vocals and tenor on the track "Universal Language" – and Anna Bassy on vocals on the cut "Connection (revisited)". Other tracks include "Universal Message"," Mutation", and "Universal Language (revisited)". LP, Vinyl record album

It seems like it's been way too long since we last heard from Domu – but he's more than made up for that with the quality of his work on this set! The beats are as bristling, complex, and urgent as ever – blended with these magically flowing keyboard lines that can convey all sorts of futurist tendencies, while also warming things up and keeping a soulful, jazzy core to the set! Lori from Hiatus Kaiyote provides great vocals on the track "On The Line" – and other titles include "Brilliance", "Nothing Ever Changes", "Just Roll", and "Ya Nah Gonna Get It". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little record that's bristling over with that future past sort of vibe that makes the Star Creature label so great – 80s electronic elements coming into play with a more contemporary sort of groove – lean, mean, and right on the money all the way through! E Live is definitely a master on the keys – able to bring some jazzier elements into his lines here – as he steps out strongly in a mostly instrumental setting over some bassy beats and heady basslines – on titles that include "Mood Swing", "I Feel It", "Friday Night Flight", "Cadillac Breeze", "Traffic Jam", "Stranger Dayz", "You Got Me", "City Girl", "Slapadelic", and "Wise Up Rise Up". LP, Vinyl record album