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

Quite an unusual project from Jazzanova – a mixture of older tracks and newer ones, all brought together for an erotic German stage production! The theme of the show really unifies the tracks in a great way – bringing out qualities in Jazzanova's music that we've never noticed before, especially as their own tracks come into play with other numbers from different Sonar Kollektiv artists. There's a groove here that's straightforwardly slinky, and often a bit funky too – one that shakes off some of the too-abstract moments that sometimes get in the way with recent Jazznova projects, and focuses on the most cohesive part of their groove! Titles include the Jazzanova tracks "Behold These Days (Berlin 74)", "This Is The Place", "Glow & Glare", "Theme From Belle Et Fou", "That Night (Live At The SK Office with Clara Hill)", "Keep On Making Me High", and "Am I Losing You" – plus "Maybe Now" by Clara Hill, "Just A Lil Lovin (DJ edit)" by Outlines, "Flickermood" by Forss, "Sun In My Candlelight" by Wahoo, and "Caprice" by Extended Spirit. CD

Wonderfully jazzy work from Micatone – a rich album filled with lots of lovely twists and turns, all of them coming off with a level of care and class that we wouldn't expect! The group's core is the instrumental combo – very heavy acoustic bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, vibes, and other jazzy sample bits – and some of the best tracks on the set feature vocals by singer Lisa Bassenge – singing in English, with a very accented tone, on moody and smokey tunes that really stand out from the usual retro jazz diva mode. The instrumental tunes are equally nice – a mixture of electronic club jazz and more classic elements – standing up quite well on their own with a depth of construction and solid instrumentation. Titles include "Plastic Bags & Magazines", "Sit Beside Me", "Another Road", "Sweet Child", "To The Sound", "Mon Coeur", and "Quiet Boy". CD

A killer collection of cosmic soul – just the sort of set that first drew us to the Sonar Kollektiv label many years back, and quite possibly the strongest work so far from the mighty Matt Chicoine! The set's a bit more song-based and focused than before – upbeat tunes with compelling hooks, yet all still filled with the keyboard-heavy modes we know from Matt's other music. Rhythms are often a bit funky, but in kind of a cosmic way – and the set draws strongly from an array of guest stars who include Joe Dukie, Rachel Fraser, Justin Chapman, and Tyna. Titles include "Catch A Leaf", "So Cool", "Can It Be", "Emotional Funk", "Red Road", "Deeper Waters", "The Sanctuary", and "Daydream". CD

A sublime mix of tunes put together by Jazzanova to celebrate the 5th anniversary of their groundbreaking radio show – one that features 6 completely exclusive tunes, plus a wealth of other great bits from a variety of different artists! The vibe here is laidback and mellow, yet still plenty soulful – almost in the Secret Love territory explored by Jazzanova in earlier years, but with a fair bit more electricity overall, and a really global sort of consciousness in the soulful vocals on the tunes! Even when things get a bit abstract, they're still plenty funky – and there's a crisp, crackling sensibility that unites all the different tracks in the mix. 20 tracks in all – including "Just A Lil Lovin" by Jazzanova & Outlines, "In The Remix (Starship interpretation)" by Capital A, "Candlelight" by Wahoo, "Or At Least" by The Slapped Eyeballers, "Excelsior" by Ame, "Intermission" by Soulphiction, "Flashback (Jazzanova's mashed bag)" by Fat Freddy's Drop, "Skitsophrenic (part 2)" by Leroy & Darnell, "Nowhere (Atjazz Astro Black mix)" by Clara Hill, "My Vision (Dixon edit)" by Agora Rhythm, "Sun Of A Beach (London mix)" by Pharoah Roche, "Beatzeps" by Jaslopski, "Step Off" by Arken, "I Just Wanna Sing For You" by Norman Weeks & The Revelations, "So Long" by Nicola Kramer, and "No Memory Of Time (reggae version)" by Eva Be with Joe Dukie. CD

Excellent work from one of the most important production teams of recent times! Jazzanova have sharply defined the modern European taste for Brazilian and Latin-inflected grooves on the dancefloor – beginning in the mid 90s with work for the (then) new Compost Records imprint, and working up to present days with countless remix efforts for other artists. Sadly, Jazzanova have yet to cut an album of their own work – and this double-length set is probably the best full way to experience their rich talents. It features 20 tracks in all, many with a strong Brazilian or bossa flavor, and most with a tight dancefloor approach to jazz. Titles include "We Who Are Not As Others" by 4 Hero, "Soul Power" by Marcshmellows, "Carajillo" by Truby Trio, "Get Into My Groove" by Incognito, "Amazon Adventure" by Azymuth, "Words Of Love" by Soul Bossa Trio, "Welcome To The Party" by Har-You Percussion Group, "Planet Of Breaks" by Visit Venus, "Burnin" by Tate's Place, "Toda Tersafeira" by Soul Quality Quartet, "Circe" by Ursula Rucker, "Fifths" by Ski, and "Complete Life" by Liquid Lounge – all remixed by Jazzanova! CD

Sublime grooves from the first few years of the 21st Century – all work by other artists, but all strongly given the Jazzanova touch – and brought together here in one excellent package! Jazzanova are one of the few remixers that we'll automatically skip to when scanning a set – because they've got a way of expanding a tune while still loving the original – deepening elements that were almost overlooked by the original artist, in a way that makes us kind of wish they'd do more as full-fledged producers! In the meantime, though, we've got this great set to get us through – as it includes a wide range of tracks from different sources – including some especially hard to find singles that are now way out of print. 10 tracks in all – including "Song Of Will (Jazzanova's rhythm happening" by Eddie Gale, "Besteiras Do Amor (Jazzanova rmx)" by Marcos Valle, "Our Time Is Coming (Jazzanova's guestlist mix)" by Masters At Work with Roy Ayers, "Wonderlove (Jazzanova rmx)" by Heavy, "You Ain't Really Down (Jazzanova's Hey Baby rmx)" by Status IV, "Let It Go (Jazzanova rmx)" by Shaun Escoffery, "Black Heart (Jazzanova's white soul dub)" by Calexico, and "Honest (Jazzanova's honestly yours rmx)" by Nuspirit Helsinki. CD