Matt Kennedy
Together At 2am Ep

One of the most dedicated, consistent outfits in the contemporary Balearic scene, Coyote returns with their sixth album, a beautiful collection of open-hearted grooves for sunny days. The scope is broad; from minimal acid wiggles to New Age reveries, all dusted with a consistent 80s flavour that they've come to be known for. Incredibly charming and lovingly assembled work. Big one!

Other Lands aka Gavin L. Sutherland delivers a stunning second LP with long-time pals Athens Of The North. Gavin's concept was to create something that worked equally in the wilds of the Western Isles and in the sunnier spots of the world that we often yearn for. In playing with the idea of groups of islands, of archipelagos the world over, it became about people experiencing isolation individually, while still feeling a sense of community with those of shared experience. Using synths, drum machines and layered loops and tones, the result is a beautiful, spontaneous, timeless and honest meditation on what it is to be at once both alone and part of a larger whole.

Where Sydney’s previous Black Acre outing focussed on Swaziland, his ‘Paraíso / Dahlia’ double-header looks to South America for inspiration in two cuts of bustling breakbeat intricacy and lithe, live instrumental chops, including the balmy B-side starring a delicious warm breeze of a vocal. One for the acid jazz daddios. Big tip!

A personal favourite of mine from the last few years, this sometimes Deep-House and sometimes Hip-Hop record is a real treasure trove of dance-heavy sample-based flavour. Berlin-based producer Martin Georgi critically touches on the social issue of class by using ironic and strange samples as a vessel for his storytelling. Also includes Felipe Gordon and Delfonic to handle two killer deep dance edits and a Ghanaian rap duo on the title track. Deep, wicked stuff.

Napoli native Gigi Testa effortlessly carries forward the lineage of Italian dance music with this 4 track odyssey. A kaleidoscopic mix of Afro and Caribbean-inspired shufflers, Testa beautifully arranges drum machines, synths and a costal ambience to whisk you away to a tropical paradise. Big recommend!

MAJOR TIP! 17 varied re-works of classic Funkadelic cuts from Detroit's top producers across three slabs of wax... Highlights come thick and fast, from the deep house/P-funk fusion of Alton Miller's take on "Get Your Ass Off and Jam" and Andres' loose, hip-hop influenced revision of "Music For My Mother", to the thrusting loops and heady late-night hypnotism of Anthony Shake Shakir and T-Dancer's version of "Standing on the Verge". While many of the versions stay relatively faithful to the original, the more "out-there" interpretations - see BMG's outer-space ambient dub of "Maggot Brain" and Moodymann's epic revision of "Cosmic Slop" - are also consistently impressive. Yesss to this!