After two ace singles the Deeper Wider Higher collective deliver their debut album and what a treat. With a whopping 17 tracks in total which includes a few remixes thrown in for good measure, this keeps up the quality we’ve come to expect from Counterpoint records. “Follow Me” mixes soul and jazz with beautiful vocals from Genifa Edwards, a name I’ve not heard of before but I’ll certainly keep my eyes pealed for future projects. This is a must for fans of Fertile Ground and The Rebirth and given time will easily generate as much hype and respect. I hope these guys get on the road soon and show us what they are made of.

Simon Harrison

A few years ago Will Holland went in search of Spanky Wilson to feature on his 2001 album “Mishaps Happening”, and of course the anthem “Don’t joke with a hungry man” bowled everyone over. I would have loved to have seen his face when she agreed to record an album with him: he must have been smiling for weeks. The Quantic Soul Orchestra side of Will’s productions is funk at its best and with Spanky on vocals it was never ever going to fail. The tracks are not obvious and do take a little getting used to but to me it’s another classic Quantic collaboration.

Simon Harrison

If I was a betting man I would have put money on Natalie’s single with TY “That’s the way I like it” being a massive hit and maybe even hitting the charts. In reality I’ve seen it playlisted on a few radio shows but I think that’s it. It may have appeared on MTV but I think this proves that nothing is certain and that real talent more often than not gets missed nowadays. Natalie has featured on a number of projects recently, including the Heritage Orchestra album and many live shows in and around London. “Secret Garden” may not grab you at first but tracks like “Butterfly”, “Secret Garden” and “That’s the way I like it” will stick in your head for days, due to the catchy chorus and lyrics. I found it rather funny that Tony Blackburn was mentioned in the press sheet for playing Natalie’s tracks but if her music gets played on radio, it can only do good.

Simon Harrison

Aim aka Andy Turner is one producer whose productions I’ve always looked forward to hearing. Ever since his first 12″s on Grand Central, he’s always been a name to watch out for. My interest is because I was brought up in a town not far from where Andy was brought up and still resides. I do remember seeing him at clubs around the area, back in the day. Whenever I have read reviews of his work, funnily Barrow-In-Furness always seems to get a mention and he way well be the only producer in the area making music. “Flight 602” is his third album and proves yet again he is a quality beats producer and serves up plenty of funkiness for prevailing dancefloors, especially with “Birchwood”, “Smile” both of which should find a home with Quantic fans. Niko, Turner’s wife features on vocals and gives the album a little more depth and variety. This is a great way to kick off Atic Records.

Simon Harrison

One of the best ways to get your music out there is basically to do everything yourself, and that’s what Dogdaze has done – and full respect. What we have here is an album with no compromises which features some of the darkest beats and heaviest basslines you’ll hear this year. Dave has been taking tips from the likes of Danny Breaks and Tipper, especially in “Junglism” and “Transmission”. “In Dog We Trust” bridges the gaps between broken beats, hiphop and soul. Broken beats monsters “So” and “Ride” will find a home with fans of Domu. Heavyweight stuff.

Simon Harrison

Mr Bongo is back with another stunning compilation, which has been put together by Sean Marquand and Greg Caz. It’s named after their weekly night in Brooklyn, NYC, a night which must be pretty special judging by the tracklistings here. Twenty two tracks in total which obviously are Brazilian influenced but with sprinklings of soul, funk and disco. Disco is one thing I wouldn’t expect to work with a Brazilian vocal but listen to Silvio Casar’s “A Festa” and you’ll be sure to change your mind. Chalo Eduardo’s “Beija-Flor Suite” will blow any dancefloor apart and the rest of the selections are simply top notch. Miss at your peril.

Simon Harrison

Mr. Degiorgio is firing all cylinders at the moment. His amazing Beauty Room project is now in the shops and he’s gone back to where I first heard of Kirk, when the first Planetary Folklore album was released on Mo Wax nine years ago. A lot has changed over the years but Kirk has never lost his touch. Volume Two is a beautiful electronica sound with broken beats, orchestral pieces and ambience thrown into the nine tracks. “Irradiant” and “It’s all turning blue” are just two tracks that have been going down a storm. Archive were certainly wise to pick up on this gem.

Simon Harrison

There seems to be a competition going on between Quantic and Nostalgia 77 to see who can release the most music in a short space of time, and it’s pretty much neck and neck at the moment. A few weeks ago the breathtaking album “The Impossible Equation” was released – and on vinyl only which was nice – and now we have “Borderlands”. The Nostalgia 77 Octet is the live incarnation of Benedic Lamdin’s solo project. In February the band locked themselves away in a cottage in Wales to rehearse and record this album and by the sounds of it, that must have been quite a week. Inspired by the sounds of soul, funk, gospel and classic jazz of the 60’s and 70’s, it all comes together beautifully for a modern world. Jazz at its best for the twenty-first century.

Simon Harrison

This is one album I’ve been after for months, in fact I had to borrow a copy from a friend to drop some tracks on my radio show. Raw Fusion seem to have done a deal with Tru Thoughts and I hope this album receives more attention for Up Hygh because it’s much deserved. The beats are deep, funky with squelchy basslines and have spent many an hour learning and studying beats from J-Dilla. Guest vocalists include Phonte & Pooh of Little Brother, Planet Asia and the wonderful Eska and all bring soul to the preceedings and should have you coming back for more. All we need now is their excellent remix of Steve Spacek’s “Dollar” to get an official release.

Simon Harrison

Message boards and forums have been generating great excitement and hype for the return of Koop, and “Koop Islands” kicks off where their 2001 album “Waltz for Koop” left off. If there is any slight difference, it’s that they’ve gone further back in time for the influences to the 1930’s and 1940’s and the days of swing. Bringing these ideas up to date is refreshing and a joy to listen to. Yukimi Nagano is back again on vocals and sounding as amazing as ever on tracks “Come To Me”, “I See A Different You” and “Beyond The Son”. Rob Gallagher also features and I think it’s his best work since the first Earl Zinger productions, and, finally, Norwegian vocalist Ane Brun completes the package perfectly. Oscar has been quoted as saying “We play jazz”, and they do that very well.

Simon Harrison