Roni Size & Reprazent – New Forms (1997)

The definitive set of Drum and Bass, this magnificent opus, which spans two CDs, brings jazzy horn solos, astonishing acoustic bass riffs, ethereal vocals, and punchy breakbeats together. Roni Size and crew deliver a seminal work of art—a goliath set of tracks that delivers from the very first beat. Grade: A. AllMusic: New Forms.

Bare Essentials, Vol. 1 (2000)

This unmixed compilation of Naked Music tracks features a gorgeous set of soulful deep house. Blue Six, Petalpusher, Summerland, and others contribute lush reflective jazzy grooves with laid-back vocals. Each of the tracks fits well with the others. This compilation is a great introduction to the deep house sound. Grade: B. AllMusic: Bare Essentials, Vol. […]

Filtered: The Best of Filtered Dance (2001)

This Tommy Boy compilation of “filtered” house music features the most predictable mix of the most overplayed tracks in the history of electronic music. What isn’t predictable is the nearly inexcusable way that the DJ stumbles over what should be some relatively easy transitions. Skip this yawnworthy heap of mediocrity. Grade: D+. AllMusic: Filtered: The […]

Thelonious Monk – Monk (1953)

Thelonious Monk’s beautiful 1953 set features stars and underrated players, like Sonny Rollins, Ray Copeland, Frank Foster, Art Blakey, and a surprise French horn player, Julius Watkins. The musicianship is extraordinary and Monk’s dissidence against convention makes this record great. While not his most famous work, it’s still excellent stuff. Grade: B+. AllMusic: Monk.

Swayzak – Dirty Dancing (2002)

A refreshingly different electro group, Swayzak puts together a spacy set of tracks that ranges from minimal techno to downtempo to broken beats. The production is clean, almost antiseptic, and the vocal performances are solid, although the lyrics to a few tracks seemed gratingly disjointed, immature, and out of place. Grade: C+. AllMusic: Dirty Dancing.

Afro-Mystik – Morphology (2003)

A few standout tracks make this CD worthwhile. The deep tribal house sound of Afro-Mystik is well-represented, but the lyrical work, the instrumental solos, and some of the songwriting seems unfocused and lacking direction. Still, the set evokes African and Latin rhythms and brings plenty of funk along. Grade: C+. AllMusic: Morphology.

Ananda Project – Release (2000)

A beautiful collection of laid-back, stylish house tracks, this CD features good vocal performances, high production value, and a sensual groove. Caron Wheeler of Soul II Soul fame lends her style to some of the tracks. Cascades of Colour, Breaking Down, Falling for You, and Straight Magic stand out. Grade: A-. AllMusic: Release.

Kaskade – San Francisco Sessions 4 (2003)

Kaskade bashes a home run on this deep house compilation from Om. He brings together a nice assortment of vocal tracks, many of his own composition, that feature catchy lyrics and funky basslines. Jazzy, soulful, and full of memorable licks, this CD flows nicely from the start to the end. Grade: A. AllMusic: San Francisco […]

DJ Garth – San Francisco Sessions 3 (2000)

DJ Garth of the Wicked Crew joins the Om lineup with a mellow, laid-back DJ mix of spaced-out house tracks. The track selection is decent, the flow is nice, and there is a distinct warehouse party feel to the CD—a mixture of Latin textures and layered minimalism. Grade: B-. AllMusic: San Francisco Sessions, vol. 3.

Ricardo Villalobos – Salvador (2006)

Meandering through sound textures over a minimal four-on-the-floor beat, this interesting minimal electro-house album brings the Latin flavor around for a mellow jaunt around the dancefloor. Villalobos keeps a steady rhythm and ethereal moods going, demonstrating well what can be done in an ambient hypnotic groove. Grade: B. AllMusic: Salvador.

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