Flower Japan Vinyl & CDs

Review: Central, the "salsa band closest to the club scene" based in Tokyo, follows up former consecutive singles hits ('Samurai, 'Pastime Paradise') with the new full-length album in which they're housed, Flor De Roble. With a core primetime salsa cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Pastime Paradise' leading the charge, we've then a string of originals here, from 'Flor De 1.1 Rb.' and 'Samurai'. Also included are Carabali's 'Was I Surprised' and Crazy Ken Band's infamous soul masterpiece 'Towel', both again adorned in a bold salsa arrangement. An honorific 25th Anniversary album, though it is new.

Review: While it's a cliche to describe Balearic-minded releases as being "sun-soaked" and "sunset-ready", they're both descriptors that accurately reflect the gorgeously warm, melodious and laidback sound of Japanese outfit Coastlines. Their second self-titled album is every bit as inspired as its predecessor and offers a range of tracks built around layered, intricate instrumentation, gently shuffling rhythms and vivid daydreams about beachside walks in sunnier climes. Our picks of a very strong bunch include the Andreas Vollenweider-inspired slo-mo Latin shuffle of 'Tenderly', the blazed deep jazz-funk of 'Alicia', the piano-laden early morning wonder of 'Night Cruise' and the squelchy future boogie of 'Sky Island'. In a word: sumptuous!

Review: Made up predominantly of live drums and backing sequences, Cruisic affirm a sturdy sonic "yes" in the vein of nu-funk and jazz-funk on their new record, Euphoria. Riffing on the successes accrued since at least 2019, first in the form of an 'Inspector Norse' rendition, then a couple more covers - 808 State's 'Pacific 707', Azymuth's 'Jazz Carnival' - Euphoria is a contrastingly unique selling point, homing in on the duo's own talents and masteries. Cruisic express the essence of house, MPB, acid jazz and groove, hardly ever overextending the tempo and keeping things at a steady 115-ish, all while remaining firmly in the wild camps of smooth and mellow.