Afternoons In Stereo At Juno Download

Review: Hoorah! It's been a long time coming, but the album from this Canadian act is finally here. We got a taster for their new retro/contemporary jazzy sound with a single in August. The EP featured the breaks-driven "Soul Sugar", the 70s funk indebted "Driving To Montenegro" and the jazzier "Blow", all of which made it to the album. Now joining these tunes are the likes of the fretlessly rhythmic "Blues For BL", the crazy flute frenzy of "The Kelly Affair" and the gentle piano intricacies of "Snowfall".

Review: Canadian outfit Afternoons In Stereo return after a brief hiatus with a new release that continues to showcase their retro/contemporary jazzy sound. Title track "Soul Sugar" is a breaks-driven affair featuring trumpets and old skool organs, "Driving To Montenegro" evokes memories of funk soundtracked 70s thrillers and also reappears in hypnotically remixed form by Cologne's Mr Confuse. "Blow' returns to their more familiar jazzy territory, neatly rounding off the package while also whetting appetites for the band's forthcoming new studio album.

Review: While waiting for new material from Canada's Afternoons in Stereo, Timewarp decided to commission a quartet of remixes of his most recent single, 2012's "Soul Sugar". The remixes, now gathered together on this tasty EP, flip between deep funk breaks, bongo-laden sax sleaziness and baggy dancefloor grooves, rearranging AiS's original pieces impressively. While it's Zamali who delivers the strongest straight-up dancefloor remix - think punchy breaks, hip-hop samples and bold pianos - it's Leon's more atmospheric rub that really stands out. Making the most of the original's snaking horns and Hammond organ licks, he offers up a version that gets the perfect balance between laid-back sweetness and sweaty hedonism.

Review: A collective of musicians based in Ontario, Afternoons In Stereo let their many influences shine through on this latest and very lovely album. Taking in nu-jazz, Latin funk and a variety of soulful and downtempo sources, they manage to meld styles perfectly - one listen to "Promise" for example will show their depth and the richness of their songs, taking in St. Germain beats, live double bass and flutes as well as a sun-kissed vocal chorus. Uptempo instrumentals like "West End Satori" are also a delight and give the players a chance to show off their jazz-honed skills. "El Puma" even sounds like a long-lost Kool and the Gang tune and nicely rides a sample from the Lafayette Afro Rock Band's "Hihache". A pleasing mix of styles and full of soul, this is a surprising and hugely satisfying release.

Review: A full, track by track remix version of Afternoons In Stereo's album from last year, aided by some of the leading lights from the Timewarp label. TWM for example keeps much of the funk from "Promise" in tact whilst also adding a pleasing nu-jazz lilt to the beats. Athens-based producer George Bitsikas radically switches up styles on his take on "The Mumakil" though, flitting between chilled dub and pacey D&B rhythms. For nu-disco fans, there's also a blinding remix of "Party At Mimi And Dicks" by Brazilian funk talent Trotter.