Jalapeno At Juno Download

Review: Following on from the initial Jalapeno Funk, the beat-centric label's first foray into the world of compilations, comes its equally vital and zesty sequel. With label stars like Kraak and Smaak, Skeewif and Max Sedgley present and correct, as well as a host of others, it's a pleasing mix of vibes and genres and quality the whole way through.

Opener "Whole Wide World" mixes and dices between beats and samples with a deft hand from the appropriately named Radio Trip. Dr Rubberfunk also rocks the samples, this time as a backing for some sassy and jazzy female vocals from Sitzka. Kraak and Smaak's "Squeeze Me" gets a fun and fresh makeover from A Skillz, who scratches the vocals over a heavy bassline. Tape Loops' single with Finley Quaye on vocals, "Never Do That," gets its rocksteady rhythms bolstered by Parker on the remix, while Crazy P turns Smoove & Turrell's "Beggarman" into a delicious nu-disco diamond.

While quality beats underpin everything from Jalapeno, the range of styles and genres is genuinely impressive. Look no further than the sitars on Skeewiff's "Ruby's Revenge" or the awesome 8-bit tech-funk of Neighbour's "Pistachio Ride" as an example. With additional treats like an acapella of Doug Lazy's "Let It Roll" on offer as well, Jalapeno Funk 2 is yet another hot hot treat.

Review: Perfect timing for all summer soirees: London's premier funk dealers Jalapeno fire up yet another spotless collection of party nuggets. Showcasing their extensive repertoire, they've crammed in 14 unmissable, unmixed and unmistakeably swinging tracks by the likes of Featurecast, Beekeepers, Kraak & Smaak, Smoove & Turrell, Max Sedgley, Parker, Moneyshot and more. From prime-time party pieces (Hint's b-boy breaking remix of Kraak & Smaak's "Let's Go Back") to low-swung, hipster disco (Tom Drummond's "Keep It Moving) via deep house that's so clean and pristine you could do surgery on it (D'Steph's "Getting It On"), the whole compilation sparkles with sonic sunshine. And for those days when you just haven't got the energy to mix (don't lie - we've all been there), they've even thrown in a DJ mix of the tracks too.

Review: More funky extensions from the Jalapeno crew, with label head Trevor Mac guiding you through this latest set of tunes that take in classic soul/funk songwriting, as on Dilouya's gospel-indebted "The Way It Goes" and The KDMS' "High Wire", or the straight up popcorn funk of Soopasoul's cover of Jimmy Castor's "It's Just Begun". Dancefloor heat is also present and correct - head straight for Kraak & Smaak's rave-packed mix of Fort Knox Five's "What Make Ya Dance" to see what we mean!

Review: A coming-together of Jalapeno producer Sneaky Fox with Ernesto Picaro, who jointly drop two discoid monsters as The Odd Couple. While "Lady Shaker" is a schitzophenic mix of samples and viciously modulated synths, "Grass Roots" is a smoothed-out delight -with burbling and highly funky synths filtered slowly up into a nu-disco delight. Two highly-charged winners from this very agreeable collaboration.

Review: Bristol duo Boca 4 and Parker recently dropped their splendid debut Apiculture, from which new single "Queen Bee" was an undoubted highlight. With UK hip-hop legend Mystro on the mic, it's a confident funky breaks kicker boosted by some equally heavy remixes. Parker himself notches up the BPMs and converts the tune into a robo-funk half-stepper, while Hint cooks up a funky, 90s styled rave-up. For true breaks fans though, head straight for Neon Steve's glitched-out and nu-skool mash-up.

Review: Bristol duo Boca 4 and Parker have already treated fans to this year's Ascending Change EP and now follow it up with their debut album - a beautifully constructed mixture of trip-hop breaks, stirring strings and a lot of soul. "So Long" featuring Sarah Scott on vocals is a beauty, with descending cellos and violins filtered up over the verses, while the pair's pastoral obsessions shine through on "Spring Forward", which approaches dubstep from a very unusual and highly original, string-blessed angle. With veteran UK MC Mystro on the rabble-rousing "Queen Bee", this is an unexpected peach of an album that confounds your expectations every step of the way.

Review: An exclusive set of dub and ska influenced gems from the Tape Loops squad, featuring the vocal talents of Mr Finley Quaye and some quality mixes to boot. With all the tools of the trade - brass, delay, chanking organs and skanking guitars - present and correct, tunes like "Milk and Honey" shimmy along full of rootsy goodness. Featurecast firm things up and add a hip-hop flavour, while the summery and poppy "Pass It On" gets the Smoove remix treatment, putting some uptempo live drums under it for plenty of funky fun.

Review: You could quite easily call this collection of edits, remixes and collabos an album. Technically it's a compilation but Smoove's ability as a both a producer and selector really glue this compendium together. Which is mad as he ticks a lot of party boxes; from Womack style high production funk soul (Electric Empire's "Baby Your Lovin'") to piano-punctuated party breaks (Kraak & Smaak's "Call Up To Heaven") to sexy bossa nova (Kojato & The Afro Latin Cougaritas "Like A Gypsy"), Smoove lives up to his name, easing from genre to genre with genuine class. Final props are essential on his Northern soul style floor-pounding remix of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head". A true party piece.

Review: Taken from their recent "Eccentric Audio" album, geordie nu-funk soul stars Smoove and Turrell end the year on a high with "Gabriel". Singer John Turrell gets to flex his enormous lungs around this slow and hugely affecting tune, which is given a subtle touch from producer Smoove with live drums and a phalanx of backing vocals at its core. Another winner from this much-loved modern soul duo.

Review: A duo that have a phenomenal amount of fans despite never being picked up by the mainstream, Jalapeno duo Smoove & Turrell return after their 2009 debut Antique Soul. Combining funk beats with Turrell's gutsy and gravelly vocals works wonders again on big tunes like the Northern Soul stomp of "Higher" or the mellow nu-disco of "In Deep". This combination of producer and singer have struck gold again, and Eccentric Audio should see them seriously make an impact this time around.

Review: An exclusive to Juno Download, nu-soul duo and funk favourites Smoove & Turrell pluck the breakneck stomp of "Slow Down" from their Eccentric Audio album as a single, whilst also treating their considerable fanbase with some excellent new remixes of "In Deep". The sweet, gospel-tinged '70s funk gets a polished, club-friendly retouch from Smoove himself, while disco dons Kraak & Smaak strip away the raw, organic drums and bathe "In Deep" in a glorious techy remake. The funky house vibes are added to with further ace mixes from DJ Friction and Diesler.

Review: Cheeky Geordie funkster Smoove and regular vocalist Turrell will shortly release their second full-length, Eccentric Audio. To raise awareness, they've primed two radio-friendly cuts for a lead-in single. "Slow Down" has 'end of night anthem' written all over it. In big black letters. Turrell does his best to sound like Frank Sinatra, laying down a classic vocal atop a catchy musical backing that sits somewhere between urgent funk and big band swing. "Broke", meanwhile, offers a more classic soul flavour, Turrell coming on like a 70s Motown vocalist over bright and breezy grooves that ooze summery goodness. Catchy, radio-friendly and, ultimately, lovingly sweet.