Wonderfully groovy, chill out soul from Finland's Quintessence – and warm batch of tracks the blends the echoey, tripped out 70s jazz aesthetic with hip hop and club production techniques as seamlessly as just about anything out there! Sublime keys, trumpet and occasional fluegelhorn lilt over programmed beats and live drums, but what really makes the groove standout are the breathy, layered vocals of Emma Salokoski – who sings and sometimes scats in English, with a real affinity for natural soul. 10 tracks in all, including "Sticks & Stones", "1st Impressions", "Never", "Raindrops", "The Right", "Skywalker", "Sparkle" and more! (Neo Soul, New Grooves) CD

An assortment of Nujazz, downtempo, and electronic tracks from Germany – pulled together by the folks at Spinning Wheel Records, who we love for their collections of older groovy bits! The set features many exclusive tracks and previously unissued numbers – and it fits nicely with a Compost or G-Stone-type groove. Tracks from Max Fresh, Wiseintime, Jimpster, Mark De Clive-Lowe, Alex Phountzi, Reunion, Sonic Surfer, The Green Man, uss Gabriel, and BTO Spider & Jeremiah. CD