Bargrooves: Mimosa (2004)

Jun 09, 2008 by Mr. Nau Ben Sowton joins Groove Junkies on this double-disk set of soulful deep house music. Sowton’s track selection flows smoothly from one song to the next and gives a delicious late-night vibe. The Groove Junkies serve up gospel-tinged vocal tracks that seem a just little bit preachy sometimes. Grade: B-. […]

Bargrooves: Espace Privé (2003)

Jun 02, 2008 by Mr. Nau DJ Ben Sowton welcomes guest Frédéric Messent in a lush mix of deep house that delivers a laid-back groove and a sophisticated ambience without getting overbearing with hard attitude. Messent’s session gets a little trudgy at times, but this wonderful double-disk set is still good for many spins. Grade: […]

Blue Six – Beautiful Tomorrow (2002)

May 30, 2008 by Mr. Nau This beautifully-produced album by electronic group, Blue Six, shows off the stylings of the anchor live act on the Naked Music label, with extra remixes of the best songs. The style is laid-back, soulful jazzy deep house music and the vocalists that sing on these tracks are talented. Grade: […]

Bargrooves: Frosted (2004)

May 29, 2008 by Mr. Nau DJ Gregory and Ben Sowton add another beautiful mix to the line-up of the Bargrooves compilations. This set is funky and full of Latin-tinged stompers with plenty of vocal tracks to keep it fresh. Many of the tracks on this set are by familiar artists of the genre. Grade: […]

Herbie Mann & Jọo Gilberto РRecorded in Rio de Janeiro (1965)

May 28, 2008 by Mr. Nau Herbie Mann, João Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim join forces on this relaxed set of gorgeous bossa nova standards. The solo work by Mann’s flute, the unique vocal stylings of Gilberto, a surprising vocal number by Mann, and the arrangements by Jobim all contribute to a beautiful half-hour vacation. […]

Inland Knights & Olivier Desmet – San Francisco Sessions 6 (2008)

May 22, 2008 by Mr. Nau Om Records continues an excellent series of continuously mixed West Coast house sets, this time featuring Inland Knights and Olivier Desmet. The first disk, mixed by Inland Knights, features signature San Francisco track, some vocal and some instrumental. Desmet unleashes a set of house tracks next that keeps us […]

Bargrooves: Cosmopolitan (2005)

May 12, 2008 by Mr. Nau Ben Sowton teams up with guest DJ Rollercone on another fairly decent Bargrooves deep house compilation. There are lots of really great tracks here, but a few of the selections have infuriating spoken word vocals that frankly ruin the excellent grooves behind them—especially on tracks like Nothing Like Jazz. […]

Tina Dico – In the Red (2005)

May 12, 2008 by Mr. Nau Tina Dico, a singer-songwriter best known for her vocal work with Zero 7, has crafted a set of songs that shows off her vocal talent and songwriting skills. There are five or six instant classics on this introspective dozen songs, full of hook-filled melodies and delectable pop grooves. Grade: […]

Bargrooves: Members Only 2 (2007)

May 05, 2008 by Mr. Nau Ben Sowton and the Native New Yorkers join forces on this foot-tapping continuously-mixed Bargrooves compilation. Lots of funky house tracks fill both of these CDs and keep a good thump going for well over two hours. This is mostly a good time, featuring quite a few unforgettable cuts. Grade: […]

Bliss – Quiet Letters (2005)

Apr 28, 2008 by Mr. Nau This album by a fairly obscure downtempo act feels very much like the soundtrack to a quirky art house film. The instrumentation is orchestral and lush, the tracks mellow and relaxed, and the styles ranging from Nordic to African grooves. Sophie Barker lends her soulful vocals to this gorgeous […]

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