Already February ! Time to have a look at some of the best albums around on this second month of the year. From the evergreen Roy Ayers to french hip hopper, DJ Cam, via Philly traveller, Vikter Duplaix and Detroit's most wanted, Amp Fiddler + a whole bunch of Scands, including Perry Hemus (our album of the month), Bliss, Bugge Wessltoft and Lars Sandberg aka Funk D'Void then a couple of comps. Another four weeks on and we'll tanning by the sunny shores of Florida to attend the Winter Music Conference. How lucky we are…

Crisis, what crisis ? Michael Reinboth was bloody damned right (cf. our Compost Records label profile). The situation may not be the best in terms of record sales for certain people, but the quality is definitely there and isn't that what counts at the end of the day ?

Music and women (to me) have in common the fact that they can put you at first listen/sight upside down and I guess this is what makes them so U-nique. Music creates pictures and pictures suggests music and it's exactly what to expect while discovering Bliss's offering (Quite Letters) from the very first second til its absolute end. Everything at the right place and the right moment to guarantee you an instant transportation to the very depth of beauty, on this exquisite blend of motley elements inherited from a vast variety of cultures. An album made by undeniable travellers who've obviously done like a global shopping bringing here pieces of classic, there, afro/oriental percussions if not cinematic atmospheres mixed with lush pieces of blue eyed soul. Not too surprised to have seen the music of this Danish outfit being picked up by Ibiza Café del Mar selector, Bruno. Not to mention the name of Kenneth Bager's label that fully speaks for itself.

Also hailing from Danemark although UK-based, keyboardist, Perry Hemus made recently quite a stirr with the sensuous "Rhodesmode", the title track from his debut-LP on the typical groove circuit receiving a great support Gilles Peterson, Rainer Trüby and France's DJ Spider to name but a few. Depth, brilliance, groove and sometimes a real dance appeal, balancing between melancholic and cool festive (latin) vibes, Hemus, accompanied by vocalist, Lizzy Parks explores the various sides of intimacy, providing what is exactly expected from a music lover's point of view, in that same vein as what Mitchell & Dewburry, MAW aka Nuyorican Soul, Incognito & the likes have done in the past (more info : wwodlandrecords.com).

Just arrived in Australia where he's touring these days, Norwegian head of Jazzland Records, Bugge Wesseltoft delivers another of his special recipee under the New Conception Of Jazz banner, untitled Film Ing. Funny if not incredible how this talented keyboardist is able to tickle your mind from almost anything (alone in front of his piano) to a full band, having the right sense of what is to be put here and what's to be avoided there. For sure, it's jazzy, but it's also intimately electronic, ambient and even classical at some time, thus with a minimalistic perspective leading us to what has to be taken as a unique universe on its own. Checking track one, three (featuring saxman, Joshua Redman and the following one featuring the divine Dhafer Yousssef should be a good sample of what to expect here. In other words, nothing but the good and the diversity (more info : jazzland.no)

D'ya like te move it ? Yes I guess y'all do. If there's any dance albums around ya'd betta check Funk D'Void's newie. Volume Freak - that's it title - has got everything to make you trance your ass off and screw your head til crazeness. This is what I would call intelligent music at a rarely reached level carrying out aerial atmospheres over fierce basslines, hypnotic rhythm lines & sparse beats, with the x-tra help of Mark Bell and Martin Linqvist adding their voices here & there. Something that should provide Lars Sandberg with a place into this year's serious contenders on the dancefloors, should some big DJ names have the good idea to put their hands and ears on this big banger (more info : somarecords.com)

The groove is much cooler while at the start of Vikter Duplaix's Singles LP but don't forget about this classic "Never trust a pretty face" hook as one time King Britt's partner (under the Scuba guise) has (again) very much more on offer on this collection of remixes. Our guy, gifted with his typical voice tone, does what he wants, where he wants and when he wants, going from R&B to house and breakbeat with a unique way of twisting the flavours, electronically speaking. No folks, looks like you won't be able to pass on this neither although your shopping cart looks already quite full now while listening to this state of incredible versatility (more info : k7records.com) and this is not finished !

Philly & Detroit look like living a simultaneous revival nowadays, said to me King Britt as he was in Paris last year,commenting about the flourishing scenes of those two cities know for their glorious contributions in terms of soul. Multi-musician, Amp Fiddler, who made quite an impressive live appearance at last year's edition of Movement (formerly known as the DEMF), has just dropped his first solo effort – Waltz Of A Ghetto Fly - and, in the meantime, a pure jewell on what's called the nu soul arena. Expect some positive lyrics blended with political ones going from bluesey ballads to cool R&B swing, with a drop of P-funk/hip hoppish influences, if not rare grooves 'alla' Roy Ayers (on "Superficial") or Marvin Gaye somehow. (more info : thegenuinearticle.net).

Remember the late Barry White saying to me some ten years ago that whatever the music you do, you have to make sure that it carries your ID, in other words a formula so that people can recognize who it's coming from. A kind of reflection that totally applies to sr Roy Ayers (see our Woprd Up section for a full interview) who sees some of his music recorded from 1976 til 81 getting a release today on the Virgin Ubiquity album. Well, needless to say that if songs like "We Live In Brooklyn" or "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" are your cup of tea, the content of this collection should have a certain appeal, like notoriously shown on the opening track. This is suave, this is groovy and jazzy and most of all unique on its genre (more info : bbemusic.com).

No doubt, there's a lot in common between US and french hip hop, having on one side all these commercial clichés and on the other one the genuine dope. Parisian hip hopper, DJ Cam has undoubtly put his shoes on the second category since day 1. Guess that his former employers at Sony where he was signed so far will have something to regret, as our man releases today what is probably his best offering so far. He knows how to be vibrant ("6 Sense"), phat ("Premier", "Don Dada") clever ("Espionage" featuring Guru) and terribly phonky ("Love Junkee" featuring Cameo & J Dilla). Nice shot indeed (more info : inflamable.com).

Yes, I know, you're gonna tell me : for f*** sake, stop it ! It's too much when reading what comes hereafter. Not an album nor a double, but a triple one !!! Comparable in terms of format as to what The Southport Weekender has become throughout the years… One of da biiiiig ones in terms of events worldwide and what we have here are three mixed CD's from three of the most significant faces in their respective genres. Gilles Peterson on an old school latiny jazz tip, Joey Negro melting disco and house and Miguel 'Migs' rollin' on some phonkyjazz vibes ; the three of them delivering original and accurate selections, where you find everything from Freddie Hubbard to Har-You Percussion Group, Cameo, DJ Pufo, Soul Providers, Mood II Swing, Sunburst Band, Mass Syndicate and many others (more info : susurecords.com).

In search of some chill after such an amount of (various grooves) ? Care of the titles as you may sometimes be surprised. It's exactly what's happening on the 6th installment of the Your Lounge Your Music serie from dutch jocks/selector, Alfred Bos aka Enrico Riva, embarking us on a really versatile travel on this double-CD full of good surprises, varying from latin jazz to atmospheric house. Want a drink with THE one of your dreams ? You got the music (more info : www.news.be). Datsit, til next.

MFSB

IN DA MIX # 40 TENNERZ

GIL SCOTT-HERON & BRIAN JACKSON Home Is Where The Hatred Is - from V/A: SOUTHPORT WEEKENDER (suSU)

FUNK D'VOID Emotional Content (Soma)

BUGGE WESSELTOFT NEW CONCEPTION OF JAZZ Skog (Jazzland)

AMP FIDDLER Superficial (Genuine)

B-FLOOR Meu Amor (Café) - from V/A: YOUR LOUNGE YOUR MUSIC 6 (NEWS)

VIKTER DUPLAIX City Spirits (!K7)

DJ CAM featuring CAMEO & DJ Dilla Love Junkee - J Dilla Remix (Inflamable)

PERRY HEMUS From A Closer point Of View (Woodland Records)

ROY AYERS Brand New Feeling (BBE)

BLISS Dunia (Music For Dreams)