Back catalogue: Deep House

Review: Jump 'N' Funk started life as a small event in New York, organized by Rich Medina in order to pay tribute to the genius of Fela Kuti. Since then, parties have been held across the world, with Medina and guests showcasing music by, or inspired by, the Nigerian Afrobeat legend. This debut Jump N Funk compilation follows a similar formula, delivering both purist Afrobeat cuts (see Fela's punchy "Stalemate", and "Na Oil" by son Seun and his band, Egypt 80), and tracks in other styles that draw heavily on the style. Highlights in the latter category include the hazy Afro hip-hop of Aquil, a tasty Afro-house dub of River Ocean's cover of Timmy Thomas' classic "Why Can't We Live Together", and the lazy, sun-kissed glory of Kutiman's "Bango Fields".

Review: Following their acclaimed debut album Sugar Honey Iced Tea!, NYC duo Musclecars aka Craig Handfield and Brandon Weems are back with a double pack of alternate versions and remixes featuring house legends Louie Vega and Maurice Fulton. Vega reworks 'Tonight' with orchestral flair and festival-ready dub versions including the NV South Jersey Mix and his Bronx Dub. Maurice Fulton's remix of 'Hello?' blends his signature live bass and punchy percussion to add a whimsical touch to the introspective original. The pack also includes stripped-down versions of 'Ha Ya! (Eternal Life)' and 'Water' plus a full side of Musclecars' 'I Don't Remember The Last Time I Saw Stars.'

Review: Sugar Honey Iced Tea! is the highly anticipated debut album from Musclecars, comprised of Brandon Weems and Craig Handfield, delving deep into the Afro-American experience. With 13 tracks that span themes of joy, loss, intimacy, perseverance and more, Musclecars craft a profound narrative that captures the nuances of daily life in native New York. From the exploration of Afro-dystopia to moments of self-discovery and self-preservation, the album offers a rich blend of sound that resonates with authenticity, emotion, and rhythm. It's a musical adventure to throw yourself in and get lost in the essence of the urban experience, crafted with intentionality, depth and a touch of magic.

Review: On the debut EP 'We Are The Ones/Fire/Forever', Chicago DJ and all-out living legend Rahaan collaborates with an equally talented group of musicians: Marcus J. Austin on lead vocals, Nancy Clayton on backing vocals, Carnell C. Newbill (also known as Spike Rebel) on keyboards and backing vocals, Todd Swope on guitar, and Lou Terry on bass. Together, the outfit known as The Ones create an extended three-track EP of transcendent proportions, drawing on the avaricious world-passion for music and life heard in the joyous chasms between psychedelia, Afrobeat and disco. Bridging these precipices by way of a vast, suspensory dancefloor held together by firmly mixable kick drums serving as rivets, Rahaan produces and mixes a viscerally eye-popping set of devotionals here. From the impassioned beatitudes and thanksgivings of 'We Are The Ones', to the desirous chic-funk drum circle envisaged on 'Fire' and the eternal gospel-rock-tinged disco-soul ablution 'Forever' (a special favourite of ours), this is a holy chrism in record form.

Review: Two years ago, Volcov set our pulses racing with From The Archive, a superb selection of killer cuts from the depth of his notoriously impressive record collection. Volume 2 is equally as inspired, though the focus is a little different. Whereas Volcov previously chose to concentrate on soul, funk and disco, this edition is far more widescreen in scope. So, we get soaring soul-jazz bliss (Collective Peace's "Let The Music Play"), head-nodding hip-hop soul (Eric Lau remixing Ruth Koleva), futurist jazz-funk (Ron Trent's wild but brilliant "Ori Space"), soul-fired broken beat (Volcov's own re-edit of Xantone Blacq's vintage remix of Intuit's "Planet Birth"), impeccable soundscape jazz ("Lawra" by Tony Williams) and much more besides.