VA - BBE Staff Selections 2025

29 years deep and still pushing the sound forward.

2025 has been a standout year for BBE Music, and as we gear up to celebrate three decades of delivering real music for real people, our team has handpicked 29 tracks that define the spirit of the label today.

Staff Selections 2025 is a fast track deep dive into BBE’s world of soul, jazz, funk, house, and global grooves. Whether you’re crate-digging for inspiration, curating your next DJ set, or simply discovering what makes this label tick, this collection is your essential guide to a year packed with deep cuts and future classics.

From Brian Jackson’s timeless collaborations reimagined with today’s finest artists, and Roy Ayers’ soulful reworks, to British Treasure Omar Lyefook MBE (Impressive Collective / BBE Music), Mark de Clive-Lowe (Impressive Collective / BBE Music), Boddhi Satva (Batakari), and the plethora of Talking Heads covers by the likes of Rogê, Róisín Murphy & Kenny Dope, W.I.T.C.H. and Astrønne , the album shines a light on the artistry, diversity, and depth that define BBE Music’s 2025 catalogue.

Think of it as a cheat sheet for the would-be selector, a starter kit for any quality dancefloor, or simply the soundtrack to a year well spent exploring music with heart and history.

Available now to stream and download on all major platforms.
Plus, don’t miss two exclusive streaming mixes and one download-only mix, available for the first time ever!

Tracklist:
1. Boddhi Satva - Nyè Sonni So (The Strength Within)
2. Will & James Ragar - Worlds Apart
3. Mark De Clive Lowe - present past
4. The McCrary - Emerge
5. Brian Jackson - New York City
6. Omar - I've Been Waiting
7. Natalie Slade - The Lesson
8. Wildchild - Multiverse
9. Alina Bzhezhinska - Altera Vita (Sly5thAve Remix)
10. Brian Jackson - Is That Jazz?
11. Hidden Spheres - Surrender Love
12. Rogê - Road to Nowhere
13. Roger Ekman - Väntan
14. Ginger Johnson and His African Messengers - A You Momma
15. Orquesta Del Sol - Rainbow Love
16. Christal Zone - Rai Rai ライ・ライ
17. WITCH - Once In A Lifetime
18. Paa Jude - Ofie Nipa
19. Roy Ayers - Brand New Feeling (Yoruba Soul Mix Part 1)
20. Anushka - Ancestry
21. KENNY DOPE - Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) (Dub Version)
22. Fiddla - IMVULA
23. Spirit Mechanix - Amabutho (Long Road Ahead Mix)
24. Anghel - Kipekeele (Extended Version)
25. Connie-B - Tidal Wave
26. Ben Hauke - Your Woke Moment
27. Rahaan - Forever
28. Vula - Want Ur Love (Ricky Morrison Sure Shot Dub - Extended)
29. Brian Jackson - Winter in America (Radio Edit)
30. Roy Ayers - Oh What A Lonely Feeling (Delfonic Rework)

VA - Tru Throught 2025

“A brilliant record label from Brighton” - GILLES PETERSON

“A vital independent label” - ROBIN MURRAY (CLASH)

“Big up the Tru Thoughts massive!” - SIR SPYRO (BBC 1XTRA)

“The brilliant Tru Thoughts label, one of our favourites” - LAUREN LAVERNE (BBC 6MUSIC)

“I gotta large up Tru Thoughts as well because it’s so important for labels to really invest in new talent and to hold them up alongside some of their mainstays and some of their more heritage artists but also to leave room to introduce us to other artists as well” - JAMZ SUPERNOVA (BBC 6MUSIC)

Curated by A&R and label co-founder Robert Luis ‘Tru Thoughts 2025’ brings together a panoramic selection of tracks released across the past year. Reflecting the label’s eclectic and international roster the 22-track anthology spans Neo Soul, Jazz, Electronica, Grime, Broken Beat, Hip Hop, and beyond - it celebrates new signings, landmark collaborations, and fresh twists on catalogue favourites.

“As an A&R there can be a tendency to be in the moment or plan forward with releases, but doing these compilations always means I take some time out to listen to and enjoy the artists we have put out on Tru Thoughts this year. I am pleased there is a mix of genres that have had good support from people who enjoy those styles. As always, I recommend you check the whole compilation and look into more music from any of the artists you particularly connect with” Robert Luis

The compilation opens with “Tropical Storm”, a striking collaboration between Tara Lily and King Krule from their Quiet Nights (Early Takes) project. Described by Tara as “a lucid dream playing in our minds again and again,” the single captures the atmospheric and experimental direction of her work in 2025.

Other contributions include new signees Kyla Kilzer and Max Noir with their debut single, “Break Through” a trip-hoppy meditation on self-growth, cycles, and learning to show yourself grace; Alice Russell joining forces with acclaimed jazz harpist Amanda Whiting for a stripped-back acoustic rendition of “Agreement” from her acclaimed album ‘I Am’ (released on Thursday 4th Dec); Footshooter’s “Cycles”, a broken-beat, sax-laden journey featuring Mercury Prize-winning James Mollison (Ezra Collective); Steven Bamidele’s “The Fool” feat. Sly5thAve, a soulful reflection on ambition and self-interest; and Oliver Night’s “Boss”, a collaboration with legendary UK rapper Roots Manuva, carrying an uncompromising message of authenticity.

On the electronic front, WheelUP continues his exploration of bruk with “Flash” featuring Abacus (Harry Bryson of Pola & Bryson), which is taken from his third LP Inner Light. Elsewhere, Kuna Maze showcases his jazz-flecked, Bristol-inspired electronica with Bristol Changes, while Bazaazal’s “Computer Love” and Matica’s “Eulerism” further expand the compilation’s adventurous scope.

Jazz and soul moments shine through Alina Bzhezhinska & Tulshi’s “Starling”, dissolving harp and synth into an immersive soundscape; Norah Jane & MOR.LOV’s “A Minute”, a reflective, Amsterdam-born collaboration; and MELONYX’s “At The Door” (North Street West Remix), which brings a gospel-house flourish from Ashley Beedle’s celebrated production outfit.

Collaborations remain central to the Tru Thoughts spirit. Ebi Soda’s “red in tokyo” feat. Jianbo pushes boundaries with what the band describe as “punk jazz drill,” blending snarling guitars, distorted rap and drill-inflected percussion. Vimbai Mango and Footshooter join forces for the soulful “Searching (Nzira)”, while Benji Bower & The Terra Collective Orchestra’s “Love Letter” feat. Kathleen Frances gets an expansive rework from Palm Skin Productions.

From the US, Grammy-winning New Orleans collective Hot 8 Brass Band returned with “Big Tuba,” dedicated to their late co-founder Bennie Pete.

Fellow Tru Thoughts veteran Lance Ferguson revisits Idris Muhammad’s jazz-funk classic “Could Heaven Ever Be Like This”, continuing his Rare Groove Spectrum explorations.

Fresh from supporting AJ Tracey and being nominated for the DJ Mag awards 2025, Crafty 893 delivers the uncompromising “Sorry Mum”, marking him as one of grime’s most compelling voices. Drum & bass energy arrives with Bruk Rogers’ “Get Low (Zero T Remix)” and Potential Badboy’s “Ticker” feat. Jodian Natty, ensuring the compilation moves fluidly from jazz and soul into bass-heavy territory. 

Tracklist:
1. Tara Lily & King Krule – Tropical Storm
2. Kyla Kilzer & Max Noir – Break Through 
3. Alina Bzhezhinska & Tulshi – Starling
4. Norah Jane & MOR.LOV – A Minute
5. Footshooter – Cycles (feat. James Mollison)
6. WheelUP – Flash (feat. Abacus)
7. Oliver Night – Boss (feat. Roots Manuva)
8. Kuna Maze – Bristol Changes
9. Steven Bamidele – The Fool (feat. Sly5thAve)
10. Alice Russell & Amanda Whiting – Agreement (Acoustic Version)
11. Catpack –  Next To Me (MIA GLADSTONE Remix)
12. MELONYX – At The Door (No’West Vocal Remix)
13. Ebi Soda – Red In Tokyo (feat. Jianbo)
14. Vimbai Mango & Footshooter – Searching (Nzira)
15. Ben Bower & The Terra Collective Orchestra – Love Letter (feat. Kathleen Frances) (Palm Skin Productions Remix)
16. Lance Ferguson – Could Heaven Ever Be Like This
17. Matica – Eulerism
18. Bazaazal – Computer Love
19. Hot 8 Brass Band – Big Tuba
20. Bruk Rogers – Get Low (Zero T Remix)
21. Potential Badboy – Ticker (feat. Jodian Natty)
22. Crafty 893 – Sorry Mum

VA - Wild Style (Special Edition)

Blurring the lines between fiction and documentary, the seminal film Wild Style, directed by Charlie Ahearn and developed alongside Fred Braithwaite aka Fab Five Freddy, offered an iconic snapshot of the emerging New York hip hop scene in the early ‘80s. Considered one of the first hip hop films, it documents the styles, culture, attitudes, and most importantly, the music of this evolving era. The accompanying soundtrack remains one of the most influential in hip hop history, featuring a who’s who of artists who stood out during the movement’s nascent block party days.

“Making hip hop’s first and most beloved feature film, Wild Style, with Charlie Ahearn and creating the original music is one of my proudest accomplishments.” - Fab 5 Freddy

In celebration of Arrow Films restoring the original Wild Style film in 4K, Mr Bongo is proud to present this special-edition reissue package. The release comes as a double LP pressed on transparent blue and orange vinyl, offering a freshly curated tracklist that brings together the finest songs from previous editions, the full sought-after instrumental album, and Kenny Dope’s top edits. Also included are an A2 colour poster, five film set photos, a flexi disc containing Fantastic Freaks Live at the Dixie, and a Wild Style sticker sheet.

Originally released on Animal Records, founded by Chris Stein of Blondie fame, the soundtrack focuses on the hip hop scene as it evolved from the streets to the recording studio. Co-produced by Stein and Braithwaite, it features the Double Trouble pairing of Rodney Cee and KK Rockwell, The Chief Rocker himself Busy Bee, and the mighty line-ups of both The Cold Crush Brothers and The Fantastic Freaks, to name but a few. The music offers a transportive glimpse into the streets of the South Bronx, capturing the free-form, roaming nature of the film - it’s rough around the edges, but utterly absorbing.

Behind those foundational voices of hip hop’s first wave was a selection of backing beats that have underpinned and influenced the genre ever since. Easily mistaken for lifted breakbeats from old records, the songs on the Wild Style soundtrack are all unique creations. Overseen by Braithwaite and Stein, with Stein also on guitar and effects, they were intended as a homage to those early breakbeats. Drummer Lenny “Ferrari” Ferraro, who played for Aretha Franklin before emerging on the punk scene, and bassist David Harper laid down many of the iconic grooves, two somewhat forgotten participants in shaping a legendary sound.

Over time, the Wild Style soundtrack, with its Charlie Chase and Grand Wizard Theodore scratches, recurring sounds and motifs, and indelible lyrics, has become a hip hop touchstone: endlessly sampled and referenced, the bedrock of so much music to follow. It perfectly encapsulated the essence of the film, the scene, and hip hop’s emergence from the Bronx to the attention of the wider world. It was, and remains, the blueprint.

Tracklist:
1. Grand Wizard Theodore - Military Cut (Scratch Mix)
2. The Chief Rocker Busy Bee - M.C. Battle (The Chief Rocker Busy Bee Vs Lil Rodney Cee & D.J. Grand Wizard Theodore)
3. Cold Crush Brothers - Basketball Throwdown (Cold Crush Brothers Vs. Fantastic Freaks)
4. Fantastic Freaks - Fantastic Freaks At The Dixie
5. Grand Wizard Theodore - Subway Theme
6. Cold Crush Brothers - Cold Crush Bros. At The Dixie
7. Double Trouble - Double Trouble At The Amphitheater
8. Grandmaster Caz - South Bronx Subway Rap
9. Busy Bee - Street Rap (Subway Mix)
10. Busy Bee - Busy Bee At The Amphitheater
11. Fantastic Freaks - Fantastic Freaks At The Amphitheater
12. Grand Wizard Theodore - Gangbusters
13. Rammellzee & Shockdell - Rammellzee & Shockdell At The Amphitheater
14. Fab 5 Freddy - Down By Law
15. Fab 5 Freddy - B Boy Beat (Instrumental)
16. Fab 5 Freddy - Yawning Beat (Instrumental)
17. Fab 5 Freddy - Crime Cut (Instrumental)
18. Fab 5 Freddy - Gangbusters (Instrumental)
19. Fab 5 Freddy - Cuckoo Clocking (Instrumental)
20. Fab 5 Freddy - Meetings (Instrumental)
21. Fab 5 Freddy - Military Cut (Instrumental)
22. Fab 5 Freddy - Razor Cut (Instrumental)
23. Fab 5 Freddy - Subway Theme (Instrumental)
24. Fab 5 Freddy - Busy Bees (Instrumental)
25. Fab 5 Freddy - Down By Law (Instrumental)
26. Fab 5 Freddy - Baby Beat (Instrumental)
27. Fab 5 Freddy - Jungle Beat (Instrumental)
28. Kev Luckhurst - Wildstyle Scratch Tool
29. Fab 5 Freddy - Baby Beat (Kenny Dope Edit)
30. Fab 5 Freddy - Jungle Beat (Kenny Dope Edit)

Outkast - Stankonia (25th Anniversary)

Celebrate 25 years of Outkast’s iconic Stankonia with this expanded 3LP set, pressed on eye-catching purple marble vinyl. Featuring exclusive bonus tracks, unreleased photos, and cover art by André 3000, this collector’s edition also includes a glow-in-the-dark fold out “flag” poster.

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Gasoline Dreams (with Khujo Goodie)
3. I'm Cool (Interlude)
4. So Fresh, So Clean
5. Ms. Jackson
6. Snappin' & Trappin' (feat. Killer Mike & J-Sweet)
7. D.F. (Interlude)
8. Spaghetti Junction
9. Kim & Cookie (Interlude)
10. I'll Call B4 I Cum (feat. Gangsta Boo & Eco)
11. B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)
12. Xplosion (feat. B-Real)
13. Good Hair (Interlude)
14. We Luv Deez Hoez (feat. Backbone & Big Gipp)
15. Humble Mumble (feat. Erykah Badu)
16. Drinkin' Again (Interlude)
17. ?
18. Red Velvet
19. Cruisin' In The ATL (Interlude)
20. Gangsta Shit (feat. Slimm Calhoun, C-Bone & T-Mo)
21. Toilet Tisha
22. Slum Beautiful (feat. Cee-Lo)
23. Pre-Nump (Interlude)
24. Stankonia (Stanklove) (feat. Big Rube & Sleepy Brown)
25. Speedballin'
26. Sole Sunday (feat. Goodie Mob) (Dirty Mix)
27. So Fresh, So Clean (feat. Snoop Dogg & Sleepy Brown) (Stankonia Remix)
28. B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) (Zack de la Rocha Remix)
29. B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) (Cutmaster Swiff Remix)
30. B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) (Beat Bullies Remix)
31. So Fresh, So Clean (feat. Snoop Dogg & Sleepy Brown) (Stankonia Instrumental Remix)
32. B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) (Instrumental) 

Oliver Night - Between The Lines

London-based producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist, Oliver Night, steps forward with his first album on Tru Thoughts, ‘Between The Lines’, a rich, genre-spanning project that traces the evolution of his sound. Blending deep-rooted influences from UK sound system culture with forward-thinking production, the album features legendary British rapper and producer, Roots Manuva, alongside celebrated innovators KAYA FYAH, TREV, Goldbar, Megatronic, David Mrakpor (of Blue Lab Beats) and Jay Phelps, each adding their own unique energy to the record.

Rooted in community, collaboration and experimentation, the album moves fluidly through broken rhythms, lush harmonies and soulful textures. Energetic album opener “Undefeated”, features West London producer and musician Goldbar; the broken beat stepper is about staying grounded and moving with purpose, while still clocking the wonders around us. Goldbar laid down the beat with Phoebe (who co-wrote the topline alongside Oliver), delivering a vocal line that cuts right through.

Other previously released singles include the soulful call to liberation and self-belief, “Run Like The River”, featuring long-time collaborator and CoOp Presents affiliate TREV. Solo effort “Reach Out”, which showcases Oliver’s skills as a producer, and the percussive and heartfelt “Friends” featuring KAYA FYAH, nods to their shared African heritage.

On album focus track “Boss” featuring respected torchbearer, Roots Manuva, Oliver reconnects with one of his heroes. “I’d wanted to make a track for Roots for years,” he shares. Built on a broken beat backbone, the track serves as a reminder to stay true to yourself. “Vibez” featuring KAYA FYAH - originally conceived as an interlude - brings a dreamy, floaty energy to the album. “It’s about keeping that internal light bright” Oliver notes. “We Are Love” featuring Megatronic, is a future-disco inspired call to the dancefloor, while “Wait and See” sees Oliver reflect on building a relationship rooted in love and strong foundations.“The City” features trumpeter Jay Phelps, Timmy boom bap on drums and Sam Leak on keys, bringing a live, jam-session feel to the project. “It’s Alright” also features the vocals of DJ, producer and songwriter Megatronic, as well as a sublime flute line from Tito - blending jazzy bebop with gospel undertones, the track captures the uncontrollable rush of love at first sight.

Title track, “Between The Lines”, nods to Oliver’s indie band roots, pairing a down-tempo feel with broken beat edges. “It’s a reminder not to take things at face value,” he says. “I wanted space to let the message breathe.” Closing track “Trance End” featuring David Mrakpor (of Blue Lab Beats) on vibraphone, pushes into psychedelic, trance-like, jazz territories, with tuba and live drums rounding off the album in hypnotic style. “It’s about snapping out of a trance, but the track itself has that trance-like quality”, Oliver explains.

A former member of Roots Manuva’s Banana Klan, Oliver’s live CV includes appearances at Glastonbury, Tate Modern, Boiler Room and sessions for Rinse FM and Worldwide FM. He’s collaborated with a wide array of artists including Bel Cobain, Marcel Vogel, Quiet Dawn, Jimpster, Jay Phelps and Natasha Diggs. His releases on CoOp Presents and beyond have earned widespread support from Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova, Kerri Chandler, Honey Dijon, Tony Humphries, Jazzie B, Seth Troxler, Kid Fonque and Rainer Trüby. Editorial praise has come from outlets like Bolting Bits and Music Is My Sanctuary, cementing his place as a standout in the evolving bruk and soul landscape.

Stylistically, Oliver resists neat definitions. His tracks move fluidly between moods and genres, broken rhythms, hip-hop sensibility, house textures and jazzy chords often coexisting in one piece. But no matter the format, there's a distinct signature that ties it all together. “MATICA (Dance Regular) said recently there’s a definite ‘Ollie groove’ that runs through all my music,” he says. “And I think that’s true.”

With ‘Between The Lines’, Oliver Night stakes his claim as one of the most versatile and forward-thinking voices in the bruk and soul landscape - a record built on community, instinct and the joy of making music that moves. 

Tracklist:
1. Undefeated (feat. Goldbar)
2. It's Alright (feat. Megatronic)
3. Boss (feat. Roots Manuva)
4. Vibez (feat. Kaya Fyah)
5. Run Like The River (feat. TREV)
6. We Are Love (feat. Megatronic)
7. Reach Out
8. Friends (feat. KAYA FYAH)
9. Wait & See
10. The City (feat. Jay Phelps)
11. Between The Lines
12. Trance End (feat. David Mrakpor)

Brian Jackson - EP One

Take Brian Jackson and Gil Scott-Heron’s iconic track “The Bottle”, add a sublime vocal performance from UK soul legend Omar, and put it in the hands of house music pioneers Masters At Work—and you get a version that’s both timeless and urgent, filled with joy, fire, and social consciousness, and built for the dancefloor.

Driven by Masters At Work’s signature attention to detail, and elevated by the calibre of the musicians and vocalists involved, this reimagining of “The Bottle” evolved into something truly epic. In fact, the final mix turned out too long to fit on Brian Jackson’s upcoming 3LP album, Now More Than Ever—but everyone agreed: fans had to hear it in its full glory.

So here it is, released exactly as intended on this twin 12" vinyl and digital EP.

Also included are exclusive versions of:
“Winter in America” featuring sonorous vocals from Rich Medina

“New York City”, reimagined as a deeply soulful, downtempo groove featuring Cindy Mizelle, Dawn Tallman, and Ramona Dunlap

This EP is a love letter to the role of music in Black Liberation, reconnecting the powerful legacy of Brian Jackson and Gil Scott-Heron with the voices and vision of 2025.

A powerful taste of what’s to come on Now More Than Ever—but also a vital standalone statement, delivered by legends at the top of their game.

Tracklist:
1. The Bottle
2. The Bottle (Dub with Omar)
3. The Bottle (12" Version)
4. The Bottle (MAW Bass Hit Dub)
5. New York City
6. Winter in America (12" Version)
7. The Bottle (MAW Harlem Dub)
8. The Bottle (Masters At Work Dub)

SML - How You Been

SML is the quintet of bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann. Their second album, How You Been, finds the supergroup of prolific composer/producers pushing ever further into the hyperrealist, collectivist approach to music creation nascently explored on their debut Small Medium Large, which was lauded as “awe-inspiring” by Glide, “exuberant” by the Los Angeles Times, and “an exciting milestone” by Pitchfork.

How You Been represents a breakthrough in the musical language of the group. This new work was crafted via extensive post-production of recordings from a handful of shows in a similar fashion to their debut, but whereas Small Medium Large was constructed from analog tapes of the band’s very first (and very modest) shows at bygone Highland Park LA venue ETA, How You Been was built with a higher level of self-awareness and a far deeper pool of source material.

Behind the thrust of the first album’s success, the band approached every performance in late 2024 and early 2025 as a generative opportunity to hone their sound and document their expansion across a new landscape of audiences, venues, and cities. Despite the premeditation driving their commitment to record every moment, the band started every show without musical direction, improvising intuitively, completely. Within every performance is an impressive display of the band’s total trust in one another and confidence in their own instincts.

As SML has evolved and spread out in space-time, their fluencies, both as an improvising unit in performance and as a production team in the studio, have sharpened. At inception the band inspired disparate but distinctive artist comparisons like Essential Logic, Oval, Herbie Hancock’s Sextant, and electric Miles Davis, as well as assorted genre touchpoints like Afrobeat, kosmiche, proto-techno and new-jazz. With How You Been their work manages to both collapse and explode such derivatives, displaying a new, high resolution version of SML, fully-flowered into a new strain of sound, bound to incite its own copycats in due time.

“SML might signal a new iteration of jazz, or it might not be jazz at all, or it might not matter.” - Pitchfork

It’s important to note that SML’s sound wasn’t created in a vacuum. The band is part of an extensive community of creative musicians who collaborate in a multitude of ways, and that community has proven to be essential to a growing family tree of innovative, genre-expanding music. Los Angeles in the 2020s is a musical Petri dish in the same way that Cologne & Dusseldorf were for the birth of Krautrock; Canterbury for progressive rock in the late 60s; NYC for No Wave & the Downtown sound in the late 70s and 80s; Chicago for genreless, Tortoise-adjacent sounds in the 90s. The musicians of SML represent the core of a new school within the Los Angeles jazz and improvised music scene that seems to breed infinitely overlapping combinations, including Jeff Parker’s ETA IVtet and Expansion Trio, the Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes trio, Anna Butterss’s own band (as heard on 2024’s Mighty Vertebrate), and various other solo and ensemble projects encompassing every single member of the SML, respectively.

On How You Been the curatorial challenge of the capture-cut production employed by SML is met by the delightful happenstance of each member being a seasoned producer on their own merit. Accordingly, SML’s perspective on what is a moment to expand upon with the post-producer’s knife and glue is five-strong. Each member’s proclivities, penchants, and predelections get their chance to filter the always-evolving elements of the group concept.

“Chicago Four” uses a live recording from treasured Chicago haunt The Empty Bottle as its foundation. It begins with interlocking synth and percussion loops before the entry of Uhlmann’s wobble-effected electric guitar melody and Butterss’s picked bass counterpoint. Stardrum’s swinging traps slide in, catching up to a couple of added percussion layers, before Johnson adds distorted chordal hits that sound like hard horn samples from a golden era Bomb Squad or Rakim beat. It all intertwines perfectly and makes an otherworldly vehicle for Johnson and Chiu’s cascading keyed melody, which soars above and between, complimenting either side of a hypnotically shifting, infectiously repeating modulation.

“Brood Board SHROOM” is a temporary touchdown on an alien planet where rhythm moves in timeless, breath-like undulations, with repetitions cut from a very different cloth than the lock-step polyrhythmic grooves of “Chicago Four.” The track’s opening lines evoke the soft throbs of the beloved ambient works of Aphex Twin (or perhaps a Robitussen-drenched take on Steve Reich’s Different Trains), before frothy curtains of textured sound drape into the mix, overlaying like distant, minimalist symphonies in a gentle, synthetic recreation of free time — slackening and accelerating as each layer of tonal pulses hovers to front-and-center or retreats into the distance. It’s a gut feeling rather than an academic exercise, and it’s all in the service of forward motion. “Plankton” occupies a similar space albeit in bite-sized form, centering Buterss’s low end melodicism and high-string visitations surrounded by skittering tonal chatter from their bandmates.

Of course, SML’s experiments with this kind of pulsating freedom are heavily balanced by muscular turns and body mechanics fit for the dancefloor. “Taking Out the Trash” is a perfect pace-setter for How You Been, a punchy nugget encapsulating the essence of SML. Chiu’s percussion synth establishes the groove before Stardrum and Butterss drop in on a heavy breakbeat. Uhlmann comes in with a searing, plucked staccato funk line on his guitar that would give Glenn Branca and Larry Coryell something to high five about. Things eventually trip into a total breakdown, with only the perc synth still looping. When the band explodes back in, the key has changed, and Johnson is letting loose on a wailing, distorted saxophone solo.

“Is there a way to dim the lights a little more?” Chiu asks at the start of the album’s closer “Mouth Words.” Moments later SML takes us out with a mid-tempo 4/4 groover dressed in swelling glissandos and punctuated by insistent, rapid-fire phrases from Johnson’s alto. As the final tune dissolves into a layer of arpeggiated chirps and sampled crowd sounds, Chiu’s voice is back again to say what we’re all thinking: “Very good. Thank you.”  

Tracklist:
1. Gutteral Utterance
2. Chicago Four
3. Taking out the Trash
4. Plankton
5. Chicago Three
6. Daves
7. Old Mytth
8. Stepping In / The Loop
9. Brood Board SHROOM
10. Odd Evens
11. How You Been
12. Moving Walkway
13. Mouth Words

Wagon Christ - Planet Roll

It’s been over thirty years since Luke Vibert dropped the first solo record of his career, Wagon Christ’s Phat Lab Nightmare, kicking off a prolific and pioneering electronic legacy, and he’s keen to keep the Wagon Christ name alive. After a string of records for Ninja Tune, things lay dormant for almost a decade until he revived the project in 2020, and how he’s back yet again with Wagon Christ’s 8th album.

Planet Roll shows off both Vibert’s humour and expert craftsmanship with psychedelic orchestral flips threaded into fluttering, hypnotic boom bap rhythms. Eager to welcome us aboard, the title track is crisp with vintage vocal samples and choppy rhythms driven by soulful Hammond organ vibrations, a woozy curtain open before stitching samples into a tongue in cheek mythology on Wagon Christ’s disappearance over the jaunty piano chords of ‘Boy Zero’, and taking a funky, playful tour through one of pop culture’s favourite words on ‘Bitch [Original Ruler]’ as melodies switch between light, tropical and spiky zigzags.

Acid has been Vibert’s weapon of late as he joined De:tuned in 2023, and when Vibert does say ‘Acid’, he means acid, (Well, what were you expecting?) amplifying the anticipation the track title bodes with eerie choirs and throaty low brass before snapping beats tie everything together. ‘Sidney Groovey’ continues on that dancefloor tip with a steely, leery, imposing electro beat, splashed with the colour of prismatic synth shredding and a frantic buzz slipping around.

Through kaleidoscopic passages of sampledelic hip hop rhythms and breakbeat grooves, Luke Vibert brings Wagon Christ back into view.

Tracklist:
1. Planet Roll
2. Snatch

3. Get It?
4. Boy Zero
5. Bitch (Original Ruler)
6. I'm Sorry
7. Can't Stop (Don't Stop)
8. Supagroovy
9. THIS
10. Boom Bip 
11. Acid
12. Housin'
13. Sidney Groovey
14. Unsure
15. Style

Norah Jane & MOR.LOV - A Minute

Amsterdam-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Norah Jane joins forces with producer MOR.LOV for 'A Minute', a five-track EP that drifts between hazy romance, dub-tinged grooves and soulful, melancholic reflection. Rooted in friendship and creative spontaneity, the record feels as much like a document of moments shared as it does a carefully crafted release.

The title track, 'A Minute', sets the tone with its reflective mood, brought to life visually by director Kate Hummel, whose video concept beautifully mirrors the song’s understated intensity. From there, the project moves into 'Godspeed', a collaboration with SB ARRA of Amsterdam collective Benkel, written in an off-the-cuff session that captures the ease of making music with friends.

'Come Around' introduces vocalist Razeen, who Norah first met while working at a vintage shop. What began as a friendship rooted in a shared love of fashion grew naturally into a creative partnership, with Razeen becoming a regular presence in the studio alongside Norah, MOR.LOV, and other collaborators. While Norah and Razeen’s connection came about organically, Razeen’s collaboration with MOR.LOV formed on a more professional level - a balance that brought both ease and focus to the track’s creative process.

Elsewhere, 'N1 Dub' emerged from a playful exchange at Groove God Jaïr Darnoud’s home studio. Norah had promised to fetch food if Jaïr and MOR.LOV would make a dub beat, and the track that followed stuck with its working title, “N1” - a fitting name for a song that captures the spontaneous, free-flowing energy that runs through the EP. At the time, MOR.LOV had been jamming regularly with Jaïr in his now-legendary home setup - part studio, part kitchen, part bedroom. “It was bound to happen that we’d throw a collab together,” MOR.LOV says. “Norah and I were super excited to have him on the project. The drums, the arrangement, the sound design, Norah’s impeccable vocal dynamics - and the solo was a one-take while we had the track looping in the background. Jaïr’s is low-key and in my experience, notorious for secretly recording your jams, and blessed he did so, I am pretty sure that was one of those ‘I am sure I won't play that again exactly like that, haha’”

Closing track 'Is It' unfolds in a cloud of smoke and soft reflection - an intimate snapshot of emotion laid bare over MOR.LOV’s spacious production. It’s one of the duo’s most instinctive moments, a song born entirely in flow. “It’s probably my favourite track I’ve produced,” MOR.LOV recalls. “I was at Norah’s place, completely in the zone - each drumline just came out naturally. She’d gone to make food, and I was jamming on the keys until the chords came through. When she came back and got excited, I knew we had something.” That spark of connection carried through to the finished song - Norah’s vocal gliding effortlessly over layered drums and warm, fluid keys. “She’s got such a good ear,” he adds. “Not easily impressed, which makes her excitement in that moment really special. It gave me a confidence boost that helped me keep the track exactly where it needed to be.”  

Tracklist:
1. A Minute
2. Godspeed (feat. SB ARRA)
3. Come Around (feat. Razeen)
4. N1 Dub (feat. Groove God Jaïr Darnoud)
5. Is It