Cold Busted US Vinyl & CDs

Review: A longtime home of lush and late night hip hop excellence, Cold Busted now welcomes Stan Forebee to the label for a tidy little limited edition 7". It features four short and superbly sweet tunes of autumnal instruemtals that will have you wanting to snuggle up by a fire and gaze at their delicate melodies and deep cut beats. The vibe is laid-back and melodic as pianos float by over warped synths and pensive groove worm their way deep into your cerebral cortex. Bastiaan van der Vlist is the man being it all and was young when he first placed classical piano before moving on to jazz, and now he brings all that to this new EP.

Review: On his latest EP 'Sunday Soul', Goodge takes listeners on a four-track journey into the many-chambered heart of funk, r&b, jazz and chillout. From the starting gun, we're hit with whammied axes and street-level audio-bustles, recalling the many exploitation movie soundtracks of the seventies and chic funkouts of yore. Then 'Promised Land' provides a gradual uplift, riffing around and about a lolling bass, as said guitars increase in intensity; this is then followed by 'Sunday Soul', which seizes upon the day of rest with a continued drive (of course, in today's world, no day is safe). Finally, 'Within Myself' ends things on a note of introspection, crafting an internal dialogue of cloudy synth fuggings set against a dust-cloud of instrumentation.

Review: Belgian producer Sim Nagai is back to take you on a worldly trip with ore of his well designed sounds on this new album for Cold Busted. It will be no surprise to learn once you hear this album that he loves to travel and manages to ably capture that in his work. Equator Hotline is packed with exotica-fuelled beatscapes and transportive vibes. On 'Animal Lithographs' there are lush harp sounds and subtle eastern melodies, 'Floating Through The Delta' is a humid and steamy trip down the river with the gentle patter of hand drums and swooning strings and 'Catching Waves' then carries you away on more gently broken beat loops and sun kissed melodies. This is super warm music for super warm days.

Review: Saib.'s debut album, Around The World, stunned listeners who got to hear this album on the first release back in 2019. Now reissued, the various global sounds, reflecting the cultural melting pot of Casablanca is once again, the talk of reissues. With intricate guitar work and hip-hop beats as its backbone, the album seamlessly transitions between jazz, lounge, Asian textures, and more. Each track is a unique exploration of saib.'s influences, showcasing his versatility and musical talent. From the upbeat funk of 'Casablanca Funk' to the serene beauty of 'Lullaby,' and the exotic allure of 'Shanghai Nights,' every moment is riveting. Remastered for enhanced quality, Around The World is a memorable trip into the sounds of a foreign country and its culture.

Review: Cold Busted ventures into downtempo and Balearic territory here with Vanilla offering up a limited but 7" full of hazy and lo-fi beat sketches that make you ache for a sun lounger and a warm day. The gentle beats of 'Pointbreak' are offset by wonky and detuned chords that bring a sense of irreverence and 'Surfin' Summer' then casts you adrift on nice lazy sax motifs. 'Remember' keeps the grooves slow and low and 'Breeze' shuts down with another cathartic and open-skied sonic excursion. A perfect accompaniment to some mental escapism, then.