A massive overview of work from the legendary Front Line label – an imprint started by Virgin Records in the mid 70s, and one that quickly became as important as Island or Trojan in the growing world of reggae! Front Line was heavy on roots, but also released some great dub material as well – all of which is brought together in this huge box of 92 tracks – which includes 11 previously unreleased selections, and 30 that had never been issued on CD! The package is divided up into sections – with a three chapter evolution of the label, plus additional 12" mixes on one CD, and another devoted entirely to material from the vaults – which makes the collection an essential set for collectors, and not just an introduction to the label. Artists include The Mighty Diamonds, U Roy, Twinkle Brothers, Gladiators, Gregory Issacs, Sly Dunbar, Jah Lloyd The Black Lion, Big Youth, Delroy Washington, I Roy, Tapper Zukie, Althea & Donna, Prince Far I, Poet & The Roots, Johnny Clarke, The Revolutionaries, Keith Hudson, and many many more! CD

Saxophonist Darius Jones is an artist whose music is always in flux – especially in recent years when he's really been stretching out – and that quality is really opened up here in a great cover feature! This issue of the The Wire also features articles on the legendary new age synth wizard Steve Roach, the avant folk group Shovel Dance Collective, avant jazz group Ahmed, and Danish instrumentalist Clarissa Connelly – plus more on the scene in Dublin, the cover art of D'Angelo's Voodoo, and Indian electronic musician Arushi Jain – as well as the usual huge section of record reviews, and Ka Baird on the Invisible Jukebox! And also includes a bonus CD – a new edition of The Wire Tapper, with a great selection of contemporary underground sounds. Magazine

The Brazilian vibe continues to spread worldwide, as a host of French and European producers go to town on a great set of tracks tinged with the sound of Brazil! This one's a lot more open-ended than some of the other sets on the market with a similar approach, in that the tracks don't necessarily focus on the dancefloor, so much as they expand the groove for a wider variety of experiences. Of course, there's still more than a few toe-tappers on the set – very much in the best style of work on Compost in a similar vein. Titles include "Brazil.com" by Isolee, "Non Fatiguing Natural Silk" by WR, "Ibis Vermelho" by Rom, "My Little Brazilian Pony" by Dr Rockit, "Tridade" by Alex Kid feat Jerome Badini, "Jelba" by Russ Gabriel, "Obrigado" by The Deal, "Bahia Blues" by DJ Spinna, "Tiu Ba La Quieba" by Boyz From Brazil, and "Kotu Rete" by Mental Remedy. CD