After years spent remixing and working on various solo and group projects, the first true Bugz album drops. It's a celebration of classic soul songwriting, funked up instrumental work, tearing basslines and fractured beats. The darker elements of the Bugz sound have been tamed and this leaves us with a broken soul dream of an album, full of emotive songs and bone shaking instrumentals. "Red Handed" is an angry number, with fluid keys and powering beats. Sharp synths, energetic beats and bright keys provide the musical backing on the sing-along "Knocks Me Off My Feet". A genuinely exciting (...)

Stereotyp's new LP is a moody collection of digisoul tunes, which range from bruk dancehall hitters to wary post-house thumpers and soul-kissed burners. Vienna based Stefan 'Stereotyp' Moerth has done an outstanding job, so even the pockets of wobbly songwriting from guest vocalists add character to the album. The title track lays thankful vocals over finger clicks and a breath like bassline. Melancholic keys cover vocals weakened by desire on "Fool For You". Unsettling yet compelling listening material, this is one of 2006's finest artist (...)

Broken Beat and organic House dominate this compilation from the Broadcite crew. As well as showcasing their wares, this CD features ace tracks that the musically non-judgmental crew have sourced from elsewhere. Voice tells her story over pointed beats and poised keys on "Guerilla Hustlin'". Black Science Orchestra's "Headspace Lullaby" finishes the disk in all of its gooey vibraphone, beautiful harmonica and gutsily beaten glory. Not just a burgeoning production outfit, "Internal Reflection" shows that Broadcite have an ear for picking out gems to lay on the decks, (...)

Helsinki's new jazzers get the remix treatment here from Italian fast jazz don Nicola Conte and Raw Fusionists Povo. Conte's "For Friends and Relatives" version of "Jamming (With Mr. Hogland)" sees battering cymbadelic percussion and a rolling double-bassline accelerate jazzified keys'n'trumpets off into the sunset. Povo's playful pianos, portly beats and romanticizing vocals wonder if "This Could Be The Start Of Something".

Will ‘Quantic' Holland returns with probably his finest LP to date. It only features nine tracks, but the album glows courtesy of funked out bites and hoppy numbers. Title track "An Announcement To Answer" sees bell shaped keys and beaming guitars put in their place by kickin' drums. "Politik Society" is a gorgeous Puerto Rican vibed ditty, where Noelle ‘Rebirth' Scaggs lays her tuneful vocals over a refreshing musical backdrop. Quantic has grown as a producer over the years and this evidence suggests that Holland is still improving, despite having already reached lofty (...)

It's a little while since Nathan Haines and Phlash blessed us with a Jazzy dancefloor stormer and whilst this isn't a new release, it does bring together some of Nathan's finest musical gems and includes a bonus disc of key remixes. Haines is a talented musician and alongside Phlash and a plethora of instrumentals and vocal hounds, he has created some ace tracks that deserve another airing. "Earth Is The Place" is still a buoyant key and brass lifted piece, topped off by Verna Francis's inspiring vocals, whilst "O Misterio" is flute led dream. The pick of remixes are Kenny Dope's (...)

This is a rather special collaboration, which brings together Mark de Clive-Lowe's production flair alongside the sweet-scented vocals of Lady Alma. It's MdCL's 'Mashi's Flipside Mix' which really does the pair justice, with Alma's company loving vocals riding atop Mark's gargling synths and complex percussion arrangement. 'Mashi's Instrumental' soakes the perplexingly intricate percussion in a bath of sweet chords and synth goodness.

Five tracks of extroverted jap-jazz magic make up this vinyl only longplayer, sourced from their recent 8 track CD album, which saw light of day via the Village Again imprint. As ever, it's keys'n'sax'n'drums at ten paces, with the euphoric "Kaze" and the triumphant "Lost In Blue" coming out on top.

Osaka's mighty Especial finally get round to putting out a proper compilation, to please those who like CDs as well as pricey, gorgeously packaged vinyl. This EP features three mixes of Bakura's heartbroken "Empty Faces", and a spirited synth'n'strings performance on the "Prime Time Mix" makes it the standout. DJ Kawasaki presents "Like Thunder", where Ernesto's empowered by love vocals are backed by classy keys and big beats. Hajime Yoshizawa rounds off the EP with "Rise Me Up", a jerky piano keyed cut produced as "Bossa (...)

Bleeps, electronic burps and flavoursome soundscapes are all present on Hefty's 10 Digest, which celebrates a decade of releases from the label. Hot tracks include Telefon Tel Aviv's boastful "My Week Beats Your Year" and Savath + Savalas's heart melting "Folk Song For Cello". Hefty contributor Scott Herren presents his own vision of the label on his cluttered mixtape, which accompanies the Digest. On the "tape", Beneath Autumn Sky's macabre jazz overhauling of Phil Ranelin's "Black Destiny" features alongside Euphone's stumbling guitared "New Dusk Policy". Flitting between the old and (...)

New Orleans rapper Voice has a sharp tongue and "Gumbo" reflects her unapologetic honesty and desire to tackle all sorts of issues. Not a convention hip hop album by any stretch of the imagination, Voice's debut features paradoxically off-kilter yet spot on production work from the likes of Moonstarr and Murr of Lal fame, which takes in various musical shades and tempos. Key cuts include "Fantasy Pt.1", a tireless assault on the sickening nature of sexual imagery in modern hip hop, and "Feel Good", a key stained assessment of modern relationships. (...)

London nu-soul man Omar returned a little while ago with an album entitled "Sing (If You Want To)", and here "Your Mess" receives the bruksoul treatment from MdCL. Omar's scolding vocals ride sliding keys and fractured beats rather nicely on Mark's revision.

Broken tech jazz master Moonstarr exposes his midas remixing touch on this disc, which celebrates his work as a reformer of other people's musical compositions. The 'starr certainly has his own distinctive production style, which can be observed at each stage of this musical voyage. Occasionally he strays to weird waters, but thankfully doesn't venture too far out on most of his remixes. Highlights come in the shape of his slammed percussion and relieved key retouch of Rednose Distrikt's "NY Boom" and his epic synth pointing version of Povo's "Uam Uam". This is a really rather impressive (...)

Jazzanova celebrate 5 years of their radio show with a comp of faves, with a stress on Sonar Kollektiv related material. Sonar Kollektiv can be a bit of a "hit and miss" imprint, perhaps due to the sheer volume of releases and the quality barometer certainly goes round on this compilation, which takes in soppy soulers, stern electronic fair and just about everything in between. Highs include Âme's haunting "Excelsior" and a jumpy "Starship Mix" of Clyde and Capitol A's lustful "Serve It Up". A mixed bag to say the least (...)

An array of talented music doctors has come to the Especial table to dissect tracks from Ryota Nozaki's colourful back catalogue. Part 1 features revisions from the likes of DJ Spinna, Sleepwalker and Recloose, but it's a spiritual master living in Santorini and a fellow Japanese broken don who come up with the best remixes. Impassioned vocals, dynamic synth flourishes and techy beats colour Osunlade's ‘Yoruba Soul Mix' of "Dentro Mi Alma". Yukihiro Fukutomi adds extra percussive layers on his version of the enthralling "Samurai", as that wondrous piano hypnotises the listener once (...)