Ananda Project – Fire Flower EP (Nite Grooves) US 12”
Chris Brann returns with his Ananda Project and a new four track EP from the forthcoming full length album ‘Fire Flower’. It includes the blissful ‘Into The Sunrise’ which is underpinned by subtle Latin rhythms and features Terrance Downs on vocals, ‘Universal Love’ and the outstanding ‘Remember When [The Wind Destroyed Our Village]’ presented here with both the original and alternative mixes. It’s the former that comes out on top though, an intense atmospheric instrumental with a popping bass line, dirty keys with and haunting wind effects. Classic house music!    
www.myspace.com/anandaone
www.myspace.com/kingstreetsoundss
www.kingstreetsounds.com

7 Samurai – Modernization (GAMM) Swedish 12”
GAMM’S latest release sees 7 Samurai serve up three tasty re-edits. On an Afro-Cuban tip there’s ‘Havanna Strut’ and ‘Bahia’ but it’s ‘Modernization’ that’s the real killer here, a storming disco-funk excursion with a conscious message warning of the effects of modernization on the world. I have no idea what the original is but definitely one to track down.   
www.myspace.com/7samuraimusic
www.myspace.com/gammenterprises

Afropsychopathz – A New Way (Sunshine Enterprises) Austrian 12”
Andrew Edward Brown of Champion Soul together with Robb Scott are Afropsychopathz who follow up their 2005 debut ‘Angel’ with ‘A New Way’. This is a sublime broken-soul piece featuring vocalist Joshua Mitchell who sounds not unlike Glenn Jones in places. For the head strong check I.G. Culture’s tough NSM Flex on the flip side.  
www.myspace.com/sunshineenterprises
www.sunshine.at

Markus Enochson – Endless Dance/Tonight The Night (Sonar Kollektiv) German 12”
Both ‘Endless Dance’ and ‘Tonight The Night’ feature the sweet vocals of Jocelyn Mathieu and are taken from Enochson’s recent ‘Night Games’ album. This 12” not only includes the original version of ‘Endless Dance’ but an awesome deep house remix plus dub from Karizma and the brilliant remix of ‘Tonight The Night’ by Japanese jazz quartet Quasimode who inject some serious Latin swing. Fans of Louie Vega’s ‘Elements Of Life’ project pay attention.
www.myspace.com/audiobuff
www.audiobuff.se
www.myspace.com/sonarkollektiv
www.sonarkollektiv.com

Halo – Let Me Do It (Lotus Land) US 12”
Originally released in 1979 Halo’s rarity ‘Let Me Do It’ gets a welcome reissue by the Milwaukee based Lotus Land Records. Produced by Lawrence Hilton Jacobs this is one hell of a boogie-soul cut presented here with the original and an Extended Disco Mix for maximum effect.
www.lotuslandrecords.net

Steve Spacek presents Black Pocket – Thank You And Credits
(Exit) UK 12”
Fresh for D-Bridge’s Exit Records comes Black Pocket (Steve Spacek) and a simple but infectious digital soul jam in the shape of ‘Thank You And Credits’. Steve’s vocals are minimal but perfectly executed. ‘Thanks And A Bit More Credit’ twists it up some and on the flip Steve features on D-Bridge’s atmospheric drum ‘n’ bass outing ‘’Last Straw’.    
www.myspace.com/blackpocket
www.myspace.com/exitrecords

Sheila Landis – Parenthe-Seizure (Counterpoint) UK CD
Detroit jazz vocalist Sheila Landis first came to my attention when the track ‘Parenthe-Seizure’ appeared on the Jazz Bizniz 2 compilation but for some reason I failed to investigate her music further. Thankfully Counterpoint have re-addressed the balance with this wonderful compilation of her work spanning from 1981-2002. Her sound is based in Latin jazz and reminiscent of Judy Roberts or Janet Lawson. Every track here is first rate, be it her take on ‘Guess I’ll Call It Love, ‘Summertime’, ‘Who Will Buy?’, Lee Morgan’s ‘Speedball’ or her self penned material such as the title track, ‘Souviens-Toi (Summer Fling/Thing)’ and the Mizell influenced ‘Leigh Ann’s Dance’.  
www.myspace.com/sheilalandis
www.myspace.com/counterpoitrecords
www.counterpointrecords.co.uk

Mudd – Claremont 56 (Rong Music) UK CD/LP
Although Mudd aka Paul Murphy (not the jazz DJ/producer and Afro Art Records boss of the same name) has been producing music in other guises for years now he first came to my attention in 2005 with ‘Kerry’s Caravan’ a collaboration with Chico Hamilton released on Rong Music. More recently he impressed with the brilliant ‘Villa Stavros’ which saw him team up with keyboardist Kevin Pollard. His latest release ‘Claremont 56’ is his debut solo album which takes in elements of slow motion disco, electro and folk resulting in an atmospheric Balearic soundscape. ‘C40’, a tripped out folk instrumental opens the set before merging into the ambient ‘Mount Pleasant Lane’ which features warm key chords from the aforementioned Pollard. ‘54B’ is a solid discoid piece but it’s Mudd’s jazzier side that appeals to me the most with tracks such as the soothing fusion outing ‘Spyro’, ‘The Snicket’ which is underpinned with a subtle samba rhythm and the gentle Latin flavoured ‘Summer In The Wood’. 
www.myspace.com/muddsworld 
www.myspace.com/thisisrongmusic
www.rongmusic.net