New releases last eight weeks: All genres

Review: The magical 'All in My Life' is an unreleased and heartbroken lovers rock steady track sung by a humble figure over a smooth rhythm. While missing the glamour of a horn section, it's driven by a lilting organ reminiscent of Buster Allstars. The B-side, 'Dancing Floor,' is the only song Gregory Isaacs recorded under Buster's production and so it is a rather rare gem. It features a melancholic melody and Isaacs' signature sweet voice that very much come from the golden age of early reggae. Both tracks showcase a raw side of the genre and as they are lesser known, they are sure to make a big impact whenever played.

Review: Conjunto Medialuna's latest album on Little Beat More is a direct trip to the heart of Bogota's rich cumbia scene. The record blends traditional rhythms with psychedelic influences driven by the Colombian accordion and ecstatic percussion that is so strongly associated with this style. These are two of the jams from it, but frankly you should also check out the full LP. It's a tribute to the guacharaca and the lively street parrandas where each song explores new interpretations of classic sounds. Featuring collaborations with N. Hardem, Mismo Perro, Son Rompe Pera, MC Hydro and Japanese-Latin percussionist Muupy, Noches de Medialuna, it transcends cultural boundaries and joins the dots between traditional and modern urban Latin music which is now so hugely popular around the world.

Review: TakeFingz returns with its seventh release and offers up a double A-side 7" tailored for dancefloor devastation. On Side A, DJ Katch reworks classic funk breaks into a groove-heavy party igniter that betrays some seriously sharp turntable skills and crowd-moving instincts. It's a surefire weapon for any set in high-energy settings. On the flip, DJ Toby Gee drops a bass-driven boogie funk jam packed with vintage chants and break-heavy grooves. Both tracks are precision-crafted with nods to B-Boy culture among them perfect for bodypoppers and lockers alike.

Review: DJ Mitsu The Beats summons up a mellow, jazz-tinged spin on Norah Jones' early classic 'Sunrise', following a plucky piano-studio sesh shared with Takumi Kaneko of Cro-Magnon. After a cannonballing digital release, the "instrumental chill" track now takes shape as a 7" single, suturing Mitsu's laidback bop to Kaneko's smooth, sunspot piano lines. With cover photography by surf documentarian Atsushi Kumano, the single was in turn singled out for the surf music compilation Salt Meets Island Cafe: Sea of Love 2, curated by new lifestyle magazine Salt. Balancing beachside ease and unsurpassable musicianship, this track hankers at the title for next best surf-chill anthem.

Review: Marking the 14th chapter in their Swinging Flavors series, Beat Machine Records call on Helsinki's DJ Sofa for a two-track offering that digs into the shadowy depths of drum & bass. A longtime purveyor of intricate, emotionally charged productions, DJ Sofa channels the breakbeat grit of late 90s UK rave culture with a distinctly modern twist. 'Drums For The Lost' is a tense, heads-down roller, its dense percussion and cavernous basslines creating a hypnotic sense of momentum. Paris-based Siu Mata reworks the track into a peak-time pressure cooker, adding a restless swing and rhythmic urgency that reshape the original's brooding energy into something more propulsive. Beat Machine Records reaffirms its ear for boundary-pushing club music.

Review: Masters At Work's discerning left brain Kenny Dope left but one of many crinkle-cut marks on the sliced hot potato of dance musical oral history with 'Supa'. Born in Brooklyn, Kenny emerged from the underground hip-hop scene before lending a crate-digger's mentation to his work, obsessively chopping samples by way of tri-wielded MPC60, MPC3000 and E-mu SP-1200 machines. We're not sure which went into the making of 'Supa' and its two comprising versions, but this is a serious funk-jungle precursor, medleying ATCQ-Lou Reed instrumentals contra the acapella line from Super Cat's 'Nuff Man A Dead' (1991). Drop either of these tunas into an otherwise +160BPM set for a breezy, halftime surprise, one that nonetheless maintains the rolling energy.

Review: This reissue brings to light one of most treasured and elusive recordings of soul music from the 60s. 'One Step Ahead', famously featured in Moonlight and sampled in Mos Def's 'Ms. Fat Booty', stands as a deep masterpiece from her early Columbia years. Released two years before her meteoric rise at Atlantic Records, this track never appeared on any of her Columbia albums, making it a rarity sought after by fans and collectors alike. The flip side, 'I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face', is equally spellbinding. Franklin's rendition of this classic exudes raw emotion and vocal brilliance, elevating it to a level that's both powerful and deeply moving. This special 7" pressing is for anyone passionate about Aretha's legacy. It captures a pivotal moment in her career and offers a chance to own a piece of soul music history, filled with timeless artistry.

Review: The mighty Dusty Donuts return to Queensbridge where they encounter a 'Lost Girl' featured on a legendary mixtape by one of QB's finest. This bouncy, choppy Marc Hype & Jim Dunloop Late Night Remix is sure to ignite any gathering. On the flipside, the vibes shift from Queensbridge to Staten Island and bring a special sound to work the crowd - this heavy soul classic arrives in true Shaolin style with choppy, dark soul chords and classic hip-hop beats. It's a track that commands attention with the drums but also locks in head and heart.

Review: 'I'll Take You There' by Leon Mitchison, featuring mixes from Kenny Dope, is a standout release from Kay-Dee Records, in a rare label head-to-head with Now-Again Records. This special edition tosses us an unreleased remix from Kenny Dope, infusing his signature funk-in-the-trunk style into an authentic and primally mixed track, working directly from Mitchison's original 8-track tapes. Acclimatising the first's deeper grooves to Dope's dope, breaks-heavy production, the artist is truly deft at upcycling vintage sonic garms.

Review: The third volume of the Incense Music compilation series, Incense Music For Dining Room, curated by Toru Hashimoto (Suburbia), comes new iterated on a split 7". Carrying over its themes of fragrance and music, 'Flamenco Sketches', named and remixed after Miles Davis' classic jazz bit, brings an exquisite reed diffusion of live-feel beats and scooped-out bliss-sound. With cover art by Jiro Fujita (FJD) and mastering by Calm, a key figure in the Japanese jazz, chill-out, and Balearic scenes, the record promises serenity: DJ Mitsu the Beats ensures a quietly contented DJ's touch. Side B offers another lo-fi cover of 'Flamenco Sketches' by Nobuyuki Nakajima, lowering the pace to an unassuming, dozy, guitar-blessed tread.

Review: Rock A Shaka continue their tributary exegeses of Jamaican rocksteady legend Prince Buster with a new 7", 'Got To Be Free'. Pulled straight from the corresponding Funky Jamaica compilation issued separately - which in turn compiles the best gems to coruscate his illustrious career - the 45s format does well to counterbalance the fallacy of comprehensiveness with a throwback in form. 'Got To Be Free' is a rather pleasant anthem to freedom: "we love the birds, we love the trees, we love the honey, we love the bees..."

Review: This record comes at a sad time, as Marlena Shaw passed away in January 2024, the New York born soul singer with her unmistakable voice leaving a long list of amazing credits and performances when she departed. This magnificent double 7" focuses on her early years in the late 1960s, work she did on the highly influential Cadet label just before she moved to Blue Note. 'California Soul', 'Liberation Conversation', 'Let's Wade In The Water' and 'Woman Of The Ghetto' are all soul classics by the late songbird, and all gathered togethere here into one unmissable EP.

Review: Japan's Fourth Wave Record Factory sure does know how to serve up brilliantly beguiling sounds that ate you well out of your here and now. Next up is this, 'Dondon Bushi' 7" by Shoukichi Kina, Champloo and Tomoko Kina that explores a mix of Okinawan traditional sounds and modern grooves. The Mbira dance mix of the A-side jam is a bubbly rhythm with worldly percussion and soulful melodies that echo folk majesty and are topped with a wonderful weird vocal from Shoukichi Kina. On the flip, there is a more lazy and downtempo style dub rhythm, 'Tie Island' (No Man's Island mix) which is another worldly trip.