A live recording, done at London's Cafe OTO, but one that's also got a virtual component too – as two of the performers were beaming into the club from the outside! The in-person players are Mark Wastell on cello and percussion, and Simon H Fell on bass – joined by guitarist Derek Bailey and dancer Will Gaines – who provided plenty of percussion on the set by tapdancing as his contribution to the long improvisation – a piece that runs for 46 minutes in length, and doesn't make you feel as if all the members aren't in the same space – kind of an amazing achievement, even in these days of technology – and one that definitely lives up to the legacy of the players involved! Bailey's guitar is great, and the use of taps is especially striking for a set of improvised music. CD

A really raw recording of the guitar genius of Derek Bailey – still as revolutionary here in late life as it was back in the 70s – and paired with some stunning improvisational work on bass from Simon H Fell! Fell's got the same way of turning his instrument inside out as Bailey, but also sometimes goes for these more human, textural approaches – almost as if he's hugging the bass, and urging it to life with his arms and fingers – while Bailey's approach is more pointed. The set was performed live, and has a great sense of room in the recording, with the elements echoing out nicely – on the titles "Pre-Tea 1", "Pre-Tea 2", "Post-Tea 1", and "Post-Tea 2". LP, Vinyl record album

Rhodri Davies on harp, Mark Wastell on violoncello, and Simon H Fell on double bass. CD

Legendary AMM noise-nik Keith Rowe on guitar and both musicians on electronics. CD

Julie Tippetts on vocals, percussion, bells, bowls, xylophone, and thumb piano; Mark Wastell on percussion, chimes, bells, and bowls. CD

You might know the work of bassist Arild Andersen from many famous albums on ECM, but his sound here is nicely different – still with his unique sense of phrasing on the instrument, but warmer overall – on a set of selections pulled from a ten hour recording selection, winnowed down to music that's got a nicely compact vibe! The instrumentation is quite unique – as the trio features Mark Wastell on percussion and shruti box, and Clive bell on shakuhachi, shinobue, khene, and pi saw – a mix of Thai and Japanese musical elements, which bring all these cool, organic reed sounds into play! The music is improvised, but tuneful – and the set features a total of nine selections in all. CD

Very dark sounds from a very cool electro-acoustic group – a lineup that's led by Mats Gustafsson, who blows saxes and flute – with work from Anna Lindal on violin, and both Mats Lindstrom and Joachim Nordwall on a variety of electronic sources – sampler, effects pedals, tapes, and more! The electronics definitely lead the sound here – and it's amazing to hear the way the acoustic instruments step in to match their tones and energy – Mats especially, blowing with that great sense of space and texture he can evoke when he wants – which is perfect next to the work of the others. The album features the very long "Konsert", and the shorter "Klang" and "Lagdynamik". CD

A trio of players with a wonderfully sensitive approach – spun out here on some very long improvisations that come from two different concerts – each recorded a few days apart, and with a very coherent vibe! The length of the tracks seems to allow for some very open, creative explorations in sonic space – many moments that often have a gentle, thoughtful approach, while still retaining an edge – one that sharpens as the tunes move on, swirling together piano from Masahiko Satoh, guitar from Otomo Yoshihide, and drums and percussion from Roger Turner. Titles include "Speaking To Stone", "About The Unrepeatable", "The Last Word Hears You", "Where It Lies", and "Behind The Year". CD

A rare gem from Archie Shepp – really wonderful, and still pretty darn spiritual! The record features 2 long tracks – "Lybia" and "My Heart Cries Out To Africa" – each a side long, and each with a soulful fire missing from many of Shepp's other recordings from the time (save for a few gems, like Sea Of Faces). The group is a quintet, and features Charles Greenlee on trombone, Dave Burrell on piano, David Williams on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums. Very nice stuff! CD includes the bonus track "Dogon" from the Horo album Body and Soul. CD

A posthumous album from the great Bob Marley – but one that's every bit as important as all the classics that were released during his too-short lifetime! The record really continues that righteous power of the later Bob Marley years on Island – that global scope in both the music's power, and Bob's vision for change in the world – sometimes issued at a more personal level, but always with a spirit that's strong enough to inspire the generations who've grabbed onto this album as a favorite. Titles include "Chant Down Babylon", "Buffalo Soldier", "Mix Up Mix Up", "Blackman Redemption", "Jump Nyabinghi", "Stiff Necked Fools", "I Know", and "Trench Town". LP, Vinyl record album

El-Producto is back with a straight up solo album after 5 years of remixes, compilations, and b-side releases – with a set that's as brooding and confrontational as you knew it would be – and trademark future funk beats as heavy and propulsive as ever! There's really no one else out there like El-P – you'd have to go back to Fantastic Damage to find an album that sounds anything like this one. His rhyme style reflects a love of true school practitioners, but the rhymes themselves are nothing like his heroes ever spit – caustic, confrontational and frightened of the big picture problems of the world. Guests include Def Jux mainstays and others recruited from the rock realm. Titles include "Tasmanian Pain Coaster", "Smithereens", "Up All Night", "EMG", "Drive", "Dear Sirs", "Run The Numbers", "Habeas Corpses (Draconian Love)", "The Overly Dramatic Truth", "Flyentology", "No Kings", "The League Of Extraordiary Nobodies" and "Poisenville Kids No Wins/Reprise (This Must Be Our Time)". CD

Seminal 70s southern soul from Millie Jackson – a record that's head and shoulders above most of what she recorded in later years! Before she got all naughty and raunchy, Millie Jackson was one of the best female soul singers to come out of the south – and this album's a work of understated brilliance that brings a new level of emotion and feeling to the music. The whole thing's conceived as a bit of a concept album – one in which Millie's a bit fragile at the start, due to unfulfilled love – then regains her confidence by confronting those around her, and eventually steps forth boldly as a proud, new woman. Jackson put together the record with producer Brad Shapiro – and the overall style is Muscle Shoals, but with a more sophisticated twist – thanks to inventive use of strings alongside the more standard soul rhythms. Highlights include a great remake of "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right" (complete with a nice bit of spoken dialogue!) – plus "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "It's Easy Going", "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "Summer (The First Time)", and the great "It's All Over But The Shouting". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – including alternate "live vocal" versions of "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", and "Feel Like Making Love" – and an instrumental called "A House For Sale" by The Muscle Shoals Swampers! CD

On Things Fall Apart ?uestlove, Black Thought, DJ Scratch, Rahzel and co. reinvigorated the scene with a Philly style soulful, melancholy groove that seemingly influenced the entirety of the NuSoul world – and it could even be argued that the Roots birthed that whole scene. Phrenology carries that torch, but it's so, SO much more, as the heady nature weighed the previous LP down in spots, and Phrenology is a sprawling exercise in expectation-busting perfection! "Rock You" kicks things off in explosive fashion, forgoing the laid back, yet angry soul backbone the group pioneered in hop hop, for a massive electro pulse pounding style – with Black Thought frenetically spitting confrontational wisdom until the synth unexpectedly dives into a short burst of live hardcore punk with "!!!!!!!" (we know what you're thinking, but trust us, it REALLY works). "Sacrifice" features a surprisingly effective chorus sung by Nelly Furtado, and other guest spots include Kweli heating up "Rolling With Heat", Ursula Rucker kicking some reverential poetry on "Waok (ay) Rollcall", and Musiq on the single "Break You Off". Other highlights include the late 80s Bomb Squad-like production on "Thought @ Work", the group's live instrumentation (and ?uestlove's always great trap work) and soul claps on tunes like "The Seed (2.0)", the epic "Water", and "Complexity" with Jill Scott. If you're solely of the 2 turntables and a mic camp you may want to head elsewhere, but if you've been anxiously awaiting the new Roots LP like we have, you'll be knocked straight on your arse, welled up with tears of joy. The best major label hip hop album of '02, and a beauty to go in the time capsule for future generations to learn, and mourn what they missed first hand. Amazing!!! Other tracks include "Quills", "Pussy Galore", and "Something In The Way Of Things (In Town)". CD

Seminal 70s southern soul from Millie Jackson – a record that's head and shoulders above most of what she recorded in later years! Before she got all naughty and raunchy, Millie Jackson was one of the best female soul singers to come out of the south – and this album's a work of understated brilliance that brings a new level of emotion and feeling to the music. The whole thing's conceived as a bit of a concept album – one in which Millie's a bit fragile at the start, due to unfulfilled love – then regains her confidence by confronting those around her, and eventually steps forth boldly as a proud, new woman. Jackson put together the record with producer Brad Shapiro – and the overall style is Muscle Shoals, but with a more sophisticated twist – thanks to inventive use of strings alongside the more standard soul rhythms. Highlights include a great remake of "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right" (complete with a nice bit of spoken dialogue!) – plus "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "It's Easy Going", "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "Summer (The First Time)", and the great "It's All Over But The Shouting". CD

MOP's gritty fourth full length effort – maybe the last inarguably top notch record – capping of a pretty great run from the mid 90s to 2000! Like so many of the great hip albums of the era, its share of filler and repetition, but the high points find the Brownsville boys at their bleak, confrontational best. Once again, sprinkled with beats and mixes by Premier that threaten to steal the show. This one still holds up! Includes Welcome To Brownsville", "Everyday", "Ante Up", "Face Off 2K1", "Warriorz", "Old Timerz", "Nig-gotiate", "Cold As Ice" and more. 19 tracks in all. CD

One of the first groups to bring back the sound of the classic Italian scene of the 70s – and still one of the best! Orgasmo Sonore spent their previous two records working through classic tracks from Italian soundtracks of the 70s – and this time around, they turn their ear towards the even funkier styles of the sound library scene – but with results that are equally great, given that many of the composers are the same! The group run through rare library tracks penned by Bruno Nicolai, Allesandro Alessandroni, Lesiman, Piero Umiliani, and others – all with this tight small combo feel that's heavy on sweet keyboards and great guitars, and which gets just the right sort of production approach to keep things right. The album may well be the group's best so far – and we've loved everything they've done already – and titles include "Tempo Sospeso", "Confronto", "Moonlight Drive", "L'Erba Di Prima", "Praries", "Viadotti", and "Space Team". CD

On Things Fall Apart ?uestlove, Black Thought, DJ Scratch, Rahzel and co. reinvigorated the scene with a Philly style soulful, melancholy groove that seemingly influenced the entirety of the NuSoul world – and it could even be argued that the Roots birthed that whole scene. Phrenology carries that torch, but it's so, SO much more, as the heady nature weighed the previous LP down in spots, and Phrenology is a sprawling exercise in expectation-busting perfection! "Rock You" kicks things off in explosive fashion, forgoing the laid back, yet angry soul backbone the group pioneered in hop hop, for a massive electro pulse pounding style – with Black Thought frenetically spitting confrontational wisdom until the synth unexpectedly dives into a short burst of live hardcore punk with "!!!!!!!" (we know what you're thinking, but trust us, it REALLY works). "Sacrifice" features a surprisingly effective chorus sung by Nelly Furtado, and other guest spots include Kweli heating up "Rolling With Heat", Ursula Rucker kicking some reverential poetry on "Waok (ay) Rollcall", and Musiq on the single "Break You Off". Other highlights include the late 80s Bomb Squad-like production on "Thought @ Work", the group's live instrumentation (and ?uestlove's always great trap work) and soul claps on tunes like "The Seed (2.0)", the epic "Water", and "Complexity" with Jill Scott. If you're solely of the 2 turntables and a mic camp you may want to head elsewhere, but if you've been anxiously awaiting the new Roots LP like we have, you'll be knocked straight on your arse, welled up with tears of joy. The best major label hip hop album of '02, and a beauty to go in the time capsule for future generations to learn, and mourn what they missed first hand. Amazing!!! Other tracks include "Quills", "Pussy Galore", and "Something In The Way Of Things (In Town)". CD

On Things Fall Apart, ?uestlove, Black Thought, DJ Scratch, Rahzel and co. reinvigorated the scene with a Philly style soulful, melancholy groove that seemingly influenced the entirety of the NuSoul world – and it could even be argued that the Roots birthed that whole scene. Phrenology carries that torch, but it's so, SO much more, as the heady nature weighed the previous LP down in spots, and Phrenology is a sprawling exercise in expectation-busting perfection! "Rock You" kicks things off in explosive fashion, forgoing the laid back, yet angry soul backbone the group pioneered in hop hop, for a massive electro pulse pounding style – with Black Thought frenetically spitting confrontational wisdom until the synth unexpectedly dives into a short burst of live hardcore punk with "!!!!!!!" (we know what you're thinking, but trust us, it REALLY works). "Sacrifice" features a surprisingly effective chorus sung by Nelly Furtado, and other guest spots include Kweli heating up "Rolling With Heat", and Musiq on the single "Break You Off". Other highlights include the late 80s Bomb Squad-like production on "Thought @ Work", the group's live instrumentation (and ?uestlove's always great trap work) and soul claps on tunes like "The Seed (2.0)", the epic "Water", and "Complexity" with Jill Scott. If you're solely of the 2 turntables and a mic camp you may want to head elsewhere, but if you've been anxiously awaiting the new Roots LP like we have, you'll be knocked straight on your arse, welled up with tears of joy. The best major label hip hop album of '02, and a beauty to go in the time capsule for future generations to learn, and mourn what they missed first hand. Amazing!!! Other tracks include "Quills", "Pussy Galore", and "Something In The Way Of Things (In Town)". LP, Vinyl record album

Prime weirdness from The Residents! It's fair to consider Fingerprince as a transitional effort from the group, though it's not a dismissible one – it's out there, exciting and may be easier to get all the way through than some of the more anti-pop experiments they delivered in the mid-to-late 70s. It's probably not as confrontational as Meet The Residents and Third Reich 'N Roll – or perhaps it just seems less vicious because the cover art isn't as confrontational. Side one has shorter pieces, which seem to be informed by vintage exotica and field recordings, though it sounds like nothing but the Residents. Side 2 is a single long suite. Titles include "You Yesyesyes", "Home Age Conversation", "Godsong", "March De La Winni", "Bossy", "Boo Who?", "Tournequit Of Roses" and the the 17+ minute, side-long "Six Things To A Cycle". Features a whole bonus CD of "finger ephemera" - with titles that include "Whoopy Snorp", "Piano Dittie", "Entrance To Crypt", "Leapmus", "Godsong (studio rehearsal)", "Fingerprince Concentrate", "Walter Westinghouse (rehearsal)", "Clumsy Climb", and some live tracks too! CD

Tangerine Dream's incredible, synthy soundtrack to Thief – which is one of the coolest crime flicks ever made in the City Of Chicago – and as great as director Michael Mann and star James Caan are, the soundtrack has a lot to do with that! The droning synth and guitar sound sets the mood in an icy cool way, and the album also stands really strongly on it's own, as one the coolest sets of electro rock instrumentals of the early 80s. Includes "Beach Theme", "Dr. Destructo", "Diamond Diary", "Burning Bar", "Beach Scene", "Scrapyard", "Trap Feeling", "Igneous" and "Confrontation". LP, Vinyl record album

3 Morricone soundtracks together on one CD – all with very different moods and styles! Professione Figlio is very spare and moody – flute lines spiraling into space over some darker orchestrations. La Banda J&S is a great little western soundtrack – jangly guitar strumming some catchy themes, mixed with additional orchestra backings, and a few cool groovy bits – like the tweaked-out sitar-like electric used on the track "Wanted Dead Or Alive"! Le Monachine is an early one from Morricone – for a black and white film from 1963 – and it's got a mixture of spare haunting melodies with some cool harpsichordy numbers that have a nice jazzed-up touch! There's a total of 24 tracks on the whole set – and titles include "Monachine Can Can", "Al Convento", "In Preghiera", "Piccolo Interludio", "Confronto Spirituale", "The Saloon's Girls", "Dolcissima", "Trio Per'Alea", and "J&S Waltz". CD