Sdban Belguim Vinyl & CDs

Review: Adja Fassa's debut album is a genre-colliding triumph of alternative r&b, neo-soul and jazz co-produced by Adam Scrimshire. Across 11 tracks, Adja dissects capitalism's influence on intimacy with sharp wit, layered symbolism and soulful grooves whether she's reimagining jazz standards or delivering dystopian vignettes of modern labor. Throughout these tracks her storytelling is bold, critical and playfully mystical. From the rebellious 'Sucking on my Emphatitties' to the haunting title track, this is protest music wrapped in velvet tones. Visually complemented by four self-designed tarot cards, the album is a rich conceptual tapestry for fans of greats like D'Angelo.

Review: Traditionally, Dutch jazz has not been that celebrated globally, despite the Netherlands producing some terrific performers and must-check recordings. Hip Holland does its best to set the record straight, offering up an impressive selection of 'modern jazz' gems recorded in the Netherlands between 1950 and 1970. It's an entertaining and eye-opening selection all told, with our picks of a very strong bunch including the soft-lit shuffle of The Diamond Five's 'Amsterdam Blues', the classic Blue Note flavours of The Jacob Brothers' 'Two Brothers', the bluesy brilliance of 'Golden Eaarings' by Martin Beenen and His Orchestra (where singer Sandy Fort supplies a sublime lead vocal) and the up-tempo hedonism of 'Sing Sing Sing' by the fabulously named Leddy Wessel With Jack Van Poll and His Tree-Oh.

Review: Five years ago, Sban Records unleashed Harde Smart, a fine collection of Flemish and Dutch records of the 1970s heavily influenced by Black American funk, soul, and dance music. This belated follow-up focuses on the 1980s, a decade in which the influence of American AOR, disco-rock, boogie, synth-pop and electro could be heard across plenty of releases by Dutch and Belgian bands. Highlights include the blue-eyed, synth-powered dreaminess of 'Drugs' by Omar & The New Sound, the P-funk-influenced flavours of Joost Belinfante's 'Zonder Woorden', the Zouk-splashed tropical boogie of De Div's 'Teken De Tijd', and the post-punk new-wave eccentricity of Nadagen's 'Onder 4 Ogen', which sounds like a Dutch take on Sheffield band Chakk.