Reel People Music Vinyl & CDs

Review: Dropping some 22 years after their debut single appeared in stores, Reel People's Love 2 album - their first full-length for five years - could well be their most assured, confident and polished set of songs to date. In keeping with their soulful blueprint, the music enthusiastically blurs the boundaries between house, nu-disco, 80s soul, jazz-funk and boogie, with a string of guest vocalists (Eric Roberson, Jill Rock Jones and Paula included) swinging by to showcase their undoubted talents. Our picks of an extremely strong bunch include the dreamy, head-nodding Balearic soul of 'Dance In Her Eyes', the synth-soaked goodness of 'Save A Lil Love', the Latin-flecked deep house warmth of 'Something New' and the effortlessly summery brilliance of 'Vibe'.

Review: Broken beat hero Kaidi Tatham steps forth with the first in a series of all-star remix albums of the Reel People Music back catalogue. Over an impressive ten tracks, Tatham sashays between syrupy soul slo-jams, virtuosic broken beat trips, almost UK funky-esque live jams, and acoustic boom bap beats. Percies include the sweeter-than-molasses opening flip of Sebb Junior's 'All My Life', his sassy, stripped-back version of Daz-I-Kue and Hadiya George's 'Pedigree' and a dazzlingly technical re-run of the Monkey Brothers' 'Losin my Head.' With this anthology, Tatham proves that London's broken beat scene continues to flourish, and his boundary-hopping style is as relevant as ever.