Back catalogue: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record sleeve damaged, product in working order***


Bringing together a joint history that could keep Simon Schama in brogues for the rest of his days, "Superstructure" marks the union of Christopher Dell - author, director of the Institute for Improvisation Technology Insel and, most importantly, World-renowned vibraphone player - and Roman Flugel (aka Alter Ego, Acid Jesus, Soylent Green etc.). The results are predictably awesome. Plundering styles like coked up Vikings, 'Superstructure' flickers into life through the opening title-track, wherein a Jelinek-esque cushion of wing-clipped syncopations and glitch-fed jazz rustle towards a muted conclusion. Preventing any kind of complacency, Dell & Flugel immediately swap scripts, inviting cascading xylophones and throaty breaks for the duration of "Urban Practise"; a sound which is abandoned wantonly for the scattered vibes-drum duet of "Miniaturisation" and the Hancock flirtations of "Wolkenbugel". Dabbling in blue-sky techno on "4 Door Body Cell", hypno-glitch for "Dirty Realism" and jazz-tickled drum & bass "Habitation", Dell & Flugel prove they're jack of all trades, master of, well, most...

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve split at the top but otherwise in great condition***


Zoltan Nagy AKA P60 has spent the last four years slowly building up his Midnight Fashion label and its dedicated downtempo offshoot, Midnight Fashion Chill. Following a handful of solo EPs on the latter imprint, Nagy has now decided to offer up a first imprint compilation - one that not only showcases his work, but also that of Marcel (AKA sometime Cookin' Records artist Marcell Dudas) and Plastic City regular Forteba (AKA Hungarian stalwart Krisztian Dobrocsi). Musically, the set lives up to its' title, offering an enticing and undeniably blazed mix of DJ Calm style trip-hop, warming 1990s style downtempo grooves, slow-burn Baleric soundscapes, Onra-esque neo-boogie beats and warm, deep and languid, jazz-flecked mid-tempo house.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


This mini album from Saul, a collaboration-loving duo comprised of Jack Stephenson-Oliver (keys player with Vels Trio) and producer Barney Whittaker AKA Footshooter, could well be one of the most summery-sounding releases of 2022. A gorgeously warm, dreamy and tactile affair that effortlessly joins the dots between classy dancefloor dynamics, laidback electronics, freewheeling jazz musicianship and soulful vocal flavours, it's a genuinely brilliant and highly entertaining affair. Our picks of an extremely strong bunch include the broken beat/electro-boogie fusion of 'Coalesce (featuring Natty Wylah)', the gently two-step influenced deep house soul of Allysha Joy hook-up 'The Light' and the Balearic ambient meets post-dubstep bass music flex of 'Lifted'.