Atjazz Vinyl & CDs

Review: Edinburgh-based Peacey had a little help from label boss Martin 'Atjazz' Iveson and the latter's old pal Clyde on debut single 'Hold Me Back'. He's gone solo on 'Culture Bandit', which like its predecessor is a taster for Peacey's forthcoming debut album. In its original form (side A), the track blurs the boundaries between 21st century Afro-house, the liquid, melody-driven fluidity of Atjazz's early works, the spoken word-sporting mid-2000s nu-jazz of Ursula Rucker (an effect heightened by Vanessa Hidary's brilliant beat poetry) and the dancefloor spirituality of Osunlade. It's fitting, then, that the latter delivers a typically percussive, musically rich and tech-tinged Yoruba Soul remix, with Martin Iveson delivering a typically fluid, deep and tactile Atjazz revision.

Review: It's been six years since Martin "Atjazz" Iveson started mentoring South African producer Jullian Gomes, and five since they last released any collaborative material. Perhaps they shouldn't have left it so long, because the material showcased here is exceptionally good. The standout for us is undoubtedly breezy soulful deep house jam "It's My Time", though EP opener "Daggers Drawn", a suitably symphonic and musically complex cut that pairs atmospheric orchestration and electronics with a snappy, tech-house beat, is almost as inspired. Elsewhere, "Blow By Blow" is a spacey and woozy number rich in broken house beats, and "The Pursuit" is a swinging, triple time workout that draws heavily on Gomes' South African heritage.

Review: Magic Number is Ross Hillard, a downtempo and orchestral composer whose engineering and bass playing can be heard on an array of releases, most notably for the likes of his own house favourites including Louie Vega, DJ Spen, Kerri Chandler, Lay-Far and Atjazz. Now debuting his first record on the latter artist's eponymous label, Badly Written Songs sounds like a slice of humble pie, but it's actually well-thought out title: in Hillard's own words, "(it's) a tongue-in-cheek reference to how transient electronic music can be." Thus, writing songs in this genre might not have been the most sensible and sustainable idea - but we all love house music, so we put everything into it, hoping that people don't discard it too soon. True to an engineer's tastes, the album is ultra-dynamic and bright throughout, serving up a consistent guest-vocal steeze reminiscent of Charles Webster or Herbert's gravitas.