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Review: Undeniably one of the most prolific anime soundtracks of all time, Yoko Kanno's band SEATBELTS was formed just to record this 1998 OST for Shinichiro Watanabe's smash success 'Cowboy Bebop'. Following the adventures of the crew of Bebop, a bounty hunter ship that chases criminals and turns them into the Inter Solar System Police for reward, Kanno's zany fusion of rock, blues and jazz oozes cool. The opening track 'Tank!' has been hugely influential, informing innumerable title sequences, from 'Danganronpa' to 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'. Focusing, as the Japanese often do, on Americana hallmarks, there is a distinct New York slant in the horns with some Afro-Cuban percussive influences as well, most notably on 'Rush' from the first 'COWBOY BEBOP' album. This boxset serves as a comprehensive rundown of all things SEATBELTS, an 11-vinyl boxset featuring all 7 albums the band have made for the legendary franchise housed in a box with art from the show.

Review: There are various eye watering stats about the many, many million copies of this album that have been pressed and sold. For each one sold there is almost as many different versions of it, too, if you look on Discogs. But all the hype and huff aside, there is a reason it is one of jazz's most famous records. The sultry modal moods, the masterfully melancholic trumpet sounds Davis conjures and the noir, late night vibe are all perfectly realised and universally understood. Without it, music at large, let alone jazz, would sound very different.