Review: Like its predecessor, 'Urban Grooves 2' takes a deep dive into the vast vaults of IRMA Records, resurfacing with a 30-track set of "urban funk breaks dub hip-hop beats". In practice, that means a mix of head-nodding, slow-motion disco-funk (see the various contributions by hypno-disco king LTJ Xperience), rubbery jazz-funk-goes-dub disco workouts (Vito Lalinga), toe-tapping, sample-heavy instrumental hip-hop (Ice One), Latin-flecked downtempo grooves (Lo Greco Bros and Flow Bop), sumptuous neo-soul (Orange Factory), and wah-wah guitar sporting deep funk (The Smoke Orchestra). Equal parts club-ready and sofa-friendly, 'Urban Grooves 2' is a uniformly entertaining and life-affirming compilation.
Review: Vito Lalinga, the mastermind behind Vi Mode Inc. Project, drops Storm featuring six tracks that blend a variety of musical styles, including tropical, Afro, funk, downtempo, and jazz. The album weaves together African and Latin American elements with western instrumentation, creating an authentic and innovative sound. With memorable melodies and percussive rhythms on every track, the organic quality of the release shines through, and the warm brass sections stand out as a highlight. Lalinga's ability to blend musical styles shines through, resulting in a unique and captivating release.
Review: Italy's Sound Exhibitions bring us a 19-artist, 24-track collection that's very much the proverbial "game of two halves (Brian)". The album opens with label boss Vito Lalinga's Afro-jazz workout 'Angola', but that's a little misleading because it's the only real Afro-flavoured cut on offer, and from 'Legend' onwards we drop down into moody, cinematic jazz/jazz-funk territory - you're never far from a warbling Hammond organ, a live-sounding double bass line or a soaraway sax solo here! But then there's a change of mood as, with a little push from M.A.D.Y's 'Tribal Disco' and C Da Afro's 'Speed Dial, we find ourselves propelled into nu-disco/disco-house territory for the rest of the set - albeit with those jazzual flourishes still seldom backwards in coming forwards. A very classy comp indeed.
Review: Packing 21 cuts from a total of 10 different artists, there's no room for a full track-by-track rundown here. But if we just say that 'Life' kicks things off on a late 70s, late night kinda tip, that 'Soulfunk' would be perfect for poolside loungin', that there's a strong jazz-funk influence to be heard on 'Summer Voyage' or that 'Into The Abyss' is one for the Hammond lovers, you'll get the general idea for sure! As the album moves on, the tempo creeps upwards and house, Afro and Latin rhythms start to make their presence felt more keenly, making the compilation as a whole the perfect soundtrack for those in-between hours when day turns inexorably into night.
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