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Review: The Sextones are a four-piece soul band from Reno, Nevada, who blend elements of rock, pop, and funk with a deep and mournful soul primacy. Fitting squarely into that oeuvre is their latest 'Beck & Call', which recalls their dearest inspirations - the likes of The Moments, Baby Huey and Curtis Mayfield - for two equally powerful falsetto'ing slow jams. The title track is the more emotive standout, channelling a hefty drum forward plod, lilting strings, soul-foundational bass, and lyrics dealing with letting go of a lost cause. 'Daydreaming', meanwhile, is more of a haze, and notably utilises electronic drums and a prominent sitar.

Review: We have long had a soft spot for the sounds that come out of DC label People's Potential Unlimited, which is affectionately known as PPU. It's always lo-fi but hi-class whether in original or reissue form. It's the latter here with leftfield Estonian artist Uku Kuut's 'Funky' 7" reappearing on wax. The opener is all singing synth lines and jumbled analogue drum funk with an oddball vocal and generally stuffy arrangement making it all the more lovable. On the flip is 'What's Happening Today', another unusual mix of sounds - synth, disco, funk and goofy vocals that will have the floor in a spin.

Review: Kreggo's Art-Aud label is a reliably unpredictable bastion of post-modern rave madness which takes a sideways glance at all the genre fluctuations and places fun front and centre alongside experimentation. As a result, this latest instalment of their Secret Rave series comes as a welcome treat - a madcap rip through tempos and styles with upfront energy as a constant. From Slacker's moody, finely tuned breakbeat excursion to J-Zbel's low down, nasty drum funk on to Treega's on-point rave stabs, it's a wild ride, make no mistake. If you take your neo-rave gear seriously, you won't want to sleep on this deadly compilation.

Review: Jordan GCZ is having a hell of a year. He's already delivered two sublime albums (his debut solo set and one created in collaboration with Detroit legend Terrence Dixon) and here drops another must-check EP, his first for Rawax. 'Making Me Dizzy' sees the Amsterdam-based producer add gorgeously ambient lead lines, lilting TB-303 motifs and funky bass to a classic Motor City techno groove, with the accompanying 'Dub Mix providing a heavier, sweatier and more intoxicating alternative version. 'Tongue Twister' is jazzier and even more intergalactic, sitting somewhere between blissed-out Move D deep house and melodious techno. The dub that accompanies it is pleasingly deep, out there and effects-laden, escorting us even further into deep space. Tip!

Review: For his latest outing on the Good Timin' imprint he set up some years back, Jex Opolis is joined by Ian D Knight. The St Louis-based performance artist notably makes his presence felt on "Look At My Car", delivering a vocal inspired by "consumerism and rampant motorism" over the NYC producer's superb, Padlock-inspired, boogie-dub groove. The Compass Point influence also comes to the fore on closer "Guitar Sands", where intertwining guitar and synthesizer motifs stretch out across a Larry Levan-friendly backing track. The EP's other cut, "Rimini Nite", successfully pays tribute to the halcyon days of Italo-disco. It's every bit as thrilling as the rest of this superb 12".

Review: Takovou stakes his claim to a wider audience with 'Perfect Match', a wonky four-tracker with a sense of depth and slow unfurling that is hardly achievable by most artists (presumably, they'd lose their patience). Dreamy movers like 'Homesickness' and 'Bubbles' are at once light and deep, perhaps reflecting the airy and unburdened headspace of this obscure Russian artist, who now resides in Tbilisi. A curveball also comes in the form of 'Another The Same', which more recalls Four Tet than the prior, less dense ambient works heard before.

Review: Bobby Harden & The Soulful Saints are back with a new 7" that arrives in conjunction with their new album Bridge of Love with arrives in May. These two tunes exemplify what to expect from the long player with sleek seventies pop sounds. 'One Night of the Week' is led by Harden's voice with the dexterous Soulful Saints adding the buttery support next to Latin percussion, horns and even a string quartet. On the flip is the exuberant 'Rase Your Mind'. This outfit has performed live and recorded together with acts such as Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and The Wu-Tang Clan and it's easy to see why.

Review: It's five up for the Palmetto Street label and this one finds them turning to Ben Pirani & The Means Of Production who manage to again find new ground in this great EP. The lead single from the 7" is a soft and melancholic sad song with none other than Brian Jackson (who collaborated with Gil Scott Heron) playing the flute parts. He cuts through the smokey mood with daring harmonies while on the flip things get even more forceful with 'Something So Precious'. Pirani goes it alone on the vocals for this one while a strong quartert adds the sumptuous melodies.

Review: Lurka ended the year on a high with a kick-ass new EP on his own new label Make Your Own Meaning. He is now set to start 2023 in an equally strong fashion with four more futuristic bass fusions. 'Wire' is a minimal stepper with bursts of bass and flitting percussive lines. 'Molten Drum' is another twitchy mix of malfunctioning computer sounds, refracted vocals and fizzing synths that keep you on edge then 'Machine' picks ups the pace with jumpy rhythms and militant snare work. 'Zone (Packet)' rounds out with a double-speed workout and juke patterns that head out on a cosmic journey.