Review: It would be fair to say that Studio K7 has pulled off something of a coup in getting Kenny Dixon Jr. to agree to compile and mix the latest installment in the long-running DJ Kicks series. It is, somewhat remarkably, the legendary Detroiter's first commercially available mix set. This triple-vinyl edition features a whopping 19 cuts - all in unmixed form - from the 30 track mix. Musically, it's a blazed, jazzy, soulful and groovy as you'd expect, and contains a mixture of downtempo beats, nu-jazz and hazy house cuts from the likes of Flying Lotus, Dopehead, Peter Digital Orchestra, Nightmares On Wax, Soulful Session and Lady Alma.
Review: Denmark's Kenneth Bager is a pioneer and record hunter in addition to label owner of Music For Dreams. Through his legendary Club Coma and subsequent stints on Danish National Radio, he has been on air for four decades promoting dance music. The label started out as a lounge/chill-out label but has since evolved into an entity with no musical boundaries. Bager has also organised the Music For Dreams Festival, in addition to his residency at Cafe Mambo in Ibiza: where 13 Music For Dreams Sunday Events were being held thus far. On the label's latest compilation, Music For Mindfulness, there's so much great music and it's hard to pick just a few highlights, but here goes: Copenhagen local The Swan And The Lake's "Clouds Over Osterbro" is absolutely lush and dreamy, Bager himself delivers an ambient instrumental mix of Ruf Dug's "Dominica!", while pianist Troels Hammer makes several appearances here, but "Cold Hawaii" is his finest moment.
