Quiet Village
Silent Movie
(!K7 Records)
Composing for a "movie-in-my-head" can seem a bit pompous by an artist unless handled with the utmost care. Quiet Village show restraint while masterfully moving the pieces along in true DJ mix fashion. Throughout their debut album "Silent Movie", songs never get too self-important nor do they wear out their welcome. Most movies only use a small section of a work from scene to scene and this same concept works for Silent Movie as sections of music rise and fall in the mix at a slow-motion pace. ... read more

Various Artists (Burning Bowl)
Musik For Film
(Burning Bowl Records)
This compilation features elusively tight cuts. The kind that you could hear inside an independent movie theatre in Europe. But to call this a cinematic presentation of the finest downbeat and dub is nothing short of an understatement. Most of the artists here were either born in Austria or moved to the mountainous country at some point in their careers. Professor Oz, who brings us the opening number "Whatever the Sun", is one good example. Born in Paris, he eventually relocated to Vienna to meet Sugar B, also credited on the track, and Richard Dorfmeister of Tosca. ... read more

2 Banks of 4
Junkyard Gods
(Sonar Kollektiv)
If you like your jazzy, soulful, downtempo vibes on the ambient side then this is definitely the CD for you. Released on the German label Sonar Kollektiv, it’s a masterful sonic landscape, of the kind Brian Eno used to make before he became one of the greatest producers the world has ever known. ... read more

Anthiliawaters
The Miles Without You
(Isophlux)
The collective of Anthiliawaters calls its music "sexy breakfast electro resistant to time coming from here and there... a sound track for starting your day." I'll go along with that, even if I don't quite understand what it means. This is a slick, well produced album laid-back electro that runs just short of an hour. ... read more

Various (Interchill)
Future Memories
(Interchill Records)
Whether it be Dissolving Clouds, the Earth Octave Lounge series, or Arcana, Interchill Records have been wrapping up selections of sounds on their numerous compilations to classify their style of downbeat. Combined with solid solo releases from the likes of Mauxuam, Ashtech and Gaudi, this Canadian based label continues to define the meaning of quality downtempo, dub, and ambient infused electronic music. ... read more

Zane Tate
Boom Bap Sunrise
(Leisure Lab)
The sunrise is that moment of the day when anything seems possible, especially after a night with no sleep at all. The body is so tired and the mind so far beyond numb, that time is decomposed in numerous shades, none of which is fully apprehended by the casual partygoer. Zane Tate's first volume of his "Boom Bap Sunrise: Rural Sounds" is the perfect soundtrack to that elliptical time when it's neither dark nor bright, even if the atmosphere feels more urban than rural. ... read more

Chris Joss
Teraphonic Overdubs
(Eighteenth Street Lounge Music)
Chris Joss returns with a smartly written album of swing and funk that proves he is one of the masters of the retro-revival and sets the bar high with Teraphonic Overdubs. Merging downtempo of now with genre-bending melodies, each track keeps the listener guessing and happily waiting for the next unexpected turn. ... read more

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