Rhythm Section International Vinyl & CDs

Review: Chaos In The CBD have quietly been building an impressive reputation for some time, with releases on Hot Haus, Amadeus and Needwant all hitting the spot. Here they transfer to Bradley Zero's Rhythm Section International with what's arguably their most mature and musically expansive EP to date. There's a decidedly dusty, eyes-closed deep house feel throughout, with hypnotic grooves laden with all manner of neat, often jazz inspired touches. This is perhaps most obvious on the St Germain style jazz-house goodness of "Observe" - all skipping cymbals, bouncy grooves and killer pianos - but can also be found on the deeper "Observe". It's there, too, on the lilting brilliance of "Midnight In Peckham" - think yearning trumpets and twinkling piano motifs - and the blissful "Luxury Motivation".

Review: Rhythm Section International, helmed by "Executive Producer" Bradley Zero, has barely put a foot wrong since launching in 2014. Here, the Peckham imprint welcomes Tom Harris AKA Hidden Spheres into the fold. He hits the mark from the off, layering up twinkling pianos, mutant synthesizer lines, bluesy vocal samples and huggable deep house grooves on "Well Well". Another deep, sun-kissed, almost horizontal house excursion can be found on the B, with the intricate and tactile "Your Effect" impressing. Elsewhere, Harris explores the dusty, downtempo side of his repertoire, with the jazzy "Land" sounding like a long lost Ninja Tune jam from the mid '90s.

Review: He may not have achieved the same acclaim and status as his fellow West Coast native Thundercat, but Mychaal Fisher AKA MMYYKK looks set to follow in his footsteps. His genre-bending music, as showcased on this brilliant Rhythm Section International debut, draws on a similar pool of influences - think Prince style purple funk, jazz, hip-hop, R&B and classic electrofunk - while also upping the soul factor to dizzyingly high levels. The results speak for themselves, with Fisher - in cahoots with a wealth of collaborators from around the world - remaining front and centre throughput thanks to his own emotive lyrics and smooth-as-butter lead vocals. In other words, it's an EP you need in your life right now.

Review: This mini album from Saul, a collaboration-loving duo comprised of Jack Stephenson-Oliver (keys player with Vels Trio) and producer Barney Whittaker AKA Footshooter, could well be one of the most summery-sounding releases of 2022. A gorgeously warm, dreamy and tactile affair that effortlessly joins the dots between classy dancefloor dynamics, laidback electronics, freewheeling jazz musicianship and soulful vocal flavours, it's a genuinely brilliant and highly entertaining affair. Our picks of an extremely strong bunch include the broken beat/electro-boogie fusion of 'Coalesce (featuring Natty Wylah)', the gently two-step influenced deep house soul of Allysha Joy hook-up 'The Light' and the Balearic ambient meets post-dubstep bass music flex of 'Lifted'.

Review: Rhythm Section returns to what they do best: sectioning off the best rhythms and leasing them to a needy house-loving consumer base. Wallace's 'Ripples' cordons off six blossomy, city-slicker house heaters, representing the darker and harder-hitting side of the label. Wallace is known as something of a recluse, but his own Tartan imprint and official releases on the likes of Lobster Theremin and Banoffee Pies have proven this kind of reticence to be irrelevant for success, in hi case. Classic sampledelic house ('Whirl') moves into totally unique future house stompers ('Room 1') and atmospheric rainsoakers ('Shanghai Street') on this limited release, seeming to represent at least two sides of one musical coin.