If you know Nicola Conte, you know that his music is the highest quality. This is not electronica. It's not electronic jazz. There are no samples or artificial beats. There are five different singers, nine horn players including Greg Osby on sax, and Conte on guitar, as well as harp, congas, and vibes. The only keyboard used is piano. Nicola Conte calls these thirteen songs, "Rituals". [ CD ] | read more...

For a long time, jazz musicians have applied their art to the art of reconstructing melodies and musical structures. Some times it is a focused study, and at others it's manifested in the free form nature of a jam. When they are really good at it, you feel as though the musicians are working with notes in the same way a sculptor works with clay, wood or whatever material they have at hand; elongating phrases, distilling percussion from a simple, round fruit into a complex, refined liquor. That's what Christian Prommer's "Drum Lesson Vol. 1" is all about. [ CD ] | read more...

See-I's latest single "Mean Joe Green" follows on their recent 10" single "The King" on Bastard Jazz, and combined, those are the first works heard from the brothers, Rootz and Zeebo since their mid-2000 releases of the "Dinner of Herb EP" and "Special Operations". Reference back to the duo's vocal work with Thievery Corporation, dial up the roots vibes a few notches and you'll have half the flavor. [ Digital Only ] | read more...

When it comes to understanding Bombay Dub Orchestra's second album "3 Cities", it may help to compare it to their first, self-titled album. The flavor, the essence of what makes them different, yet the same, is as if you're standing in London while looking Southeast, to India. From there, you'll see the first album. For 3 Cities, trade positions, and look from India toward London. [ CD ] | read more...

You know when Sonar Kollektiv and Best Seven founder Daniel Best come together, the result is guaranteed, slow-burning fire. When Frost & Wagner are thrown into that mix, just reach for the marshmallows and a comfy place to hold them over that fire, because you're going to be there a while. It's about a kind of cult of personality based on Germany's unique way of blending of Reggae, soul and dub sounds and I have to admit, I'm a bit of a devotee. [ CD ] | read more...

If former Black Blondie Sarah White was signed to a major record label, this debut effort would be plastered all over every R&B radio station going. "Hiding Blind" is a dazzling display of the best of modern nu-jazz, soul, R&B and club sounds, all underpinned by Sarah's velvet smooth vocals. [ Digital Only ] | read more...

Reso and Hektagon remix Mystic Man & Eshamanjaro’s jazzy and rambling breaks and hip-hop hooks in their own respective style. Reso’s drum and bass influence deconstructs “Minds I” to deliver an extroverted electronica remix of what once was a reflective downtempo self-exploration. Meanwhile, Hektagon remixes “The Rambler” – an appropriate track considering Hektagon’s specialty in mixing dub and breakbeats while staying true to the track’s original intent. [ Digital Only ] | read more...

As the air raid siren called out and solid, smooth, reggae infected beats and rhythms rolled out under the chanting voice of Sleepy Wonder, the grin on my face got wider and wider. The song is called "Sound the Alarm" and it leads Thievery Corporation's new album Radio Retaliation, announcing that not only is this going to be considered one of Thievery's classic albums, but that the infamous duo have an uncanny ability to deliver strong humanitarian and political messages with a finesse that, no matter what your personal beliefs are, makes the words go down smoother than premium rum. It is no coincidence there's a green ninja on the cover. [ CD ] | read more...

The overglitched sounds of some of today's electronic music can really grate on anyone's nerves. The exponential tendency to let in all sorts of new elements to a piece, only for the sake of the sacrosanct experimentalism, may cause the music equivalent of a renal-retention and the greatest of discomforts to the listener. Most of the time, when you grab an electronic record, it's advisable that you throw a quarter into a fountain, and pray for a set of songs that is both artistically appealing and enjoyable. [ CD/LP ] | read more...

Following last years dip into Indian waters on "Tantra Remixed", which came out last year on Water Music, The Warheads are back with a soundtrack for a film that does not seem to exist, except in your mind. This imaginary film is called "Nihon Noir". All that is on the bands website about it is a poster, which indicates that the film takes place in the Far East. [ CD ] | read more...