Hell Yeah Italy Vinyl & CDs

Review: Finally, four years after their sublime debut album on Church, Italian loose-limbed downtempo magicians Aura Safari are back with a follow up long player. This one comes on the much loved Hell Yeah and is another dreamy and escapist blend of dub, jazz, Afro-cosmic, Balearica and boogie sounds that are all expertly arranged. There's a mix of synths, keys, drums and bass from members Andrea Moretti, Lorenzo Lavoratori, Daniele Melloni and Nicholas Iammatteo that is utterly timeless and immediately heart swelling. Take a second to sink into the likes of 'Riserva Naturale' and you will soon feel your woes melt away, ready to get those hips moving as the sun sets to sounds like 'Magic Malbe.' An essential record that must not be slept on.

Review: Sensory Blending hears Finnish artist Jimi Tenor and Italian group Aura Safari team up for an impromptu studio shebang in Perugia, Italy, after Tenor's storied but clandestine performance at a Hell Yeah party. Despite no prior connection, the musicians quickly found common ground, forging a vivant fusion of jazz-funk, tropicalia and soul. Tenor's psychedelic style gelled Aura Safari's faster, intuited approach, resulting in such tracks as 'Bodily Synesthesia,' 'Bewitched By The Sea' and 'Lunar Wind', each of which connect seductive grooves and ghost noted keys. Possibly performed live at select events later in the year, the record is a perfect storm of recorded "live feel" Balearica.

Review: DJ Motive hails from he charming city of Gifu, Japan, and has spent 20 years crafting a signature blend of Latin, jazz and hip-hop both solo and with DeadBundy. His latest release draws on all that experience to cook up a tasteful soundtrack that will transport you from dawn to dusk. Tracks like 'Sunrise' offer dreamy broken beats and nostalgic samples, while 'Chill On A Lotus' melts vocals and chords into an ambient haze. Jazz drums meet Balearic vibes in 'Howling 2 You' while 'Walker grooves with squelchy synths. This reflective, escapist trip rewards deep listening and is another high class album from sophisticated Italian label Hell Yeah.

Review: Leya Touch and soFa elsewhere, known as Dream Baby Dream, merge their unconventional musical styles in their self-titled album, out now on the wonderful Hell Yeah . Their sound weaves occult synths and processed vocals over dubbed-out, mid-tempo rhythms to create a retro-futurist blend of cold wave, cosmic disco, dub, and trance. The duo, who see themselves as "two children who refused to grow up," offer a dreamlike journey through playful yet melancholic soundscapes from seductive melodies in 'Love Zone' to the eerie dub of 'Carpenter On The Beach, the album is a captivating mix of past, present, and future musical elements.

Review: Hell Yeah is one of the best labels out there if you love grown-up house, delicious downtempo and nu-Balearic. Even amongst its unpredictable catalogue though this one is a wonderful curveball that has already been supported by Sean Johnston, Jaye Ward, Max Essa and Francois K. It is a debut album from the Italian Michele Mininni that makes for an involving and adventurous trip that blends broken beats, worldly rhythms, jazz, eastern melodies, live drums, and more into a thrilling 15-track opus, all with a leftfield perspective. A diverse array of rhythms, melodies, and instruments from around the globe all feature in this escapist summer delight.