There’s something about the contemporary english interpretation of jazz. People like Aaron Jerome, Quantic, Gilles Peterson and Dom Servini is pushing it from the couch towards the dancefloor in a way most people are probably not familiar with.

This is another great release on the amazingly consistent Wah Wah 45s record label. Two years after his debut single Adam Scrimshire finally released his debut album last year. I can’t think of one person I have played this for that did not ask for its name. More than one year after I first heard it, it is still on rotation. So it was about time I shared it with you here.

The opening bars of “The low road” slowly introduce the record with analogue sounds before the drums puts it its rightful tempo and make room for the vocals of Rob Hynd. Right from the start you appreciate the rich sounds and the balanced production.

“Springtime” is perhaps the most classic jazz number –  a delightfully light piece with Claire Lauren on vocals, before Rob Hynd is back with a slow and stripped down ballad – only backed by simple drums and guitar for most of the song. Norwegian Inga-Lill Aker supplies the vocals on one of the the finest tracks on the album – “Warm sound” and Stac (who recently released a brilliant debut album, produced by Scrimshire) has the pleasure of providing the lyrics on the final track.

Despite the vocal talents of his collaborators, the track that stands out for me is the instrumental ”All roads leads you home”. This is perhaps the biggest compliment to Scrimshire, as it underlines his strengths as a composer and producer. The song has been the soundtrack for those late night summer strolls the morning after the night before, when the sun is appearing and everyone seems to move slow. It is an instrumental track, yet a monumental track.

Scrimshire.com | WahWah45s | Amazon |

Massive rework of Aretha’s classic “One step ahead” by Featurecast! Turning it into a slow, uplifting hiphop anthem for the summer! Of course, the original was also  popularized by its use in Mos Def’s “Ms. Fat Booty” back in 1999.

I’ve been a big fan of Featurecast for some time now, after first picking up “Channel surfing” back in 2004. That release was on the groovy Catskills label and achieved commercial prominence after it was used in the famous iPod silhouette ads.

The other side sees Loot Beggar mash up Amy Winehouse (“love is a loosing game”) and Alton Ellis – and the result is a spaced out reggae interpretation. Half decent, but it is all about Featurecasts work on this release.

I speak highly of the Wah Wah 45s label and its limited pressings on Wah Dubplate. Check out one of last years mashup favourites for me – Marvin’s Holla. 

Wah Wah 45s | MySpace | Fat City | Picadilly Records |

We are approaching the end of summer here in Oslo, but I am not ready to give up on the feeling just yet. This is the third year I pick out Spanish singer and producer Gecko Turner to provide a soundtrack for the summer. Gauapapasea! was his debut album and, as far as I know, it was originally released back in 2003.

There are a lot of gems on this album. Its so good in fact, picking out favorites does not do it justice. ”Un limon en la Cabeza” is an old favorite of mine, I still play Quantic‘s remix quite often. The album even includes a spanish language re-make of Bob Dylans “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and a cover of Bob Marley’s “Rainbow country”.

Influences ranges from almost every part of the world. You can hear the South American bossa, the african beats, Caribbean reggae and Iberian/Mediterranean sophistication. It is also musically diverse when it comes to the use of instruments and vocals. He is very much a part of the new wave/boss nova generation of musicians, so it is a record to celebrate life and opportunity. 

Gecko Turner | MySpace | Quango records | Amazon.com | Last.fm | YouTube | Juno |