Pεt Shop Boys - Bεhaviour (1990)

This is a point of contention I suppose, but I personally consider this turn-of-the-decade album one of the best synth-pop excursions ever crafted and the magnum opus of the Boys from the land of ice and snow. Those gorgeous keyboard textures, dem early 90's beatz, all the slick orchestral flourishes on tracks such as 'My October Symphony'...its a stone cold classic, ladies and gents. Opening number 'Being Boring' features the ever popular Johnny Marr on guitar as well!

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Pαυl Hαяdcαsτlε - Jαzzmαsτεяs (1993)

Paul's first foray into contemporary jazz territory, and his first full-length collaboration with the very talented Helen Rogers at the mic too. Although later projects under this particular moniker are more textured in some ways, this is the record that defined contemporary jazz over the next two decades and set a high standard for others to aspire to. Highly recommended!

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Pαυl Hαяdcαsτlε - Jαzzmαsτεяs III (1999)

My favorite album from today's #1 contemporary electronic jazz producer. Features some absolutely killer vocal House cuts, but the instrumentals are in a dimension all their own as well.

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Dεpεchε Modε - Violαtor (1990)

Need I honestly embellish some bullshit reason for you to stick this methanized-or-mayhap-robotized pop classic somewhere in that unsightly wreck you call a collection? Really now? *laughs maniacally whilst not so subtly sneaking away to somewhere with better whiskey*.

Synths galore from every hipster's favorite 80's group...and it'll throck your socks off.

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Pαυl Hαяdcαsτlε - Jαzzmαsτεяs VI (2010)

London's resident monarch of mellow has a prodigiously large discography of slick masterpieces at hand for any intrepid explorer in the regions of smooth, jazz and electronica, but this 2010 release from his Jazzmasters project is about as fine a gateway as you'll stumble across in such a search. My nods cutwise go to 'Solar Sky' and 'Touch And Go', which serve as suave and stupidly cool soundtrack material to an ocean sunset watch circa 1998.

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Sнuyα Okiиo - Dεstiиy (2011)

Long awaited sophomore release by producer/pimp Sнuyα Okiиo of Kyoto Jazz Massive, and it cuts helluva deep in all the right musical arteries.

Unlike his more House oriented debut a few years back, Dεstiиy sees Okino-san attempting to revitalize the sort of rhythmic space funkiness that a lot of late 70's/early 80's groups like Change and Cameo (and to a lesser extent guys like Alexander O'Neal and Leon Ware) crafted into near perfection back in the day, thus reigning over many a popular music circle until R&B balladry gained the upper hand near the close of the age.

Alternating classic covers with entertaining originals and bringing in a score of great vocalists to get the most out of the tracks themselves, I'm going to assert that this is a pretty fuckin' jammin' recreation of a long-dead era and one of 2011's more compelling under-the-radar gems to boot. Get cookin'!

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Daisнi Daиcε - Thε P.I.A.и.O. Sεt (2009)

Japanese piano/beat oriented techno with a tendency towards the cinematic and picturesque. Probably too smooth for clubs, but it sets a fine mood if you just want to kick back for awhile. As the title infers, there's a lot of piano here, so be prepared for that going in.

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Sεαl - S/T (1991)

Every decade has them - albums that define an era, sonic checkpoints of evolution between disparate audiences and generations. As far as the 90's go, there are a number of albums that did that for a lot of people: Nirvana's Nevermind, Nas's debut, Wu Tang circa 36 Chambers, Primal Scream's infamous Screamadelica...

..but even with that classic lineup of records, there was this one that sits just a bit higher on the chain in my eyes, underrated despite its massive success in its heyday. One soulful voice from a scarred darksome British fellow coupled with some wicked good production values (courtesy of former Yes-man Trevor Horn) that blew away the power ballads and synth-driven "funk" of a rather artificial era with a deadly, catchy new kind of ambient pop-neo soul. Layered and transcendent, it set the bar so high that nobody could even get their fingers around it. And in 2011, that brilliance still blinds as ageless things do.

You all know 'Kissed From A Rose' from Seal's later years. Now it's time to listen to go back to where he started and let your minds go numb in fascination to a genuine classic.

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Kaoru Inoue - Sacred Days (2010)

Post-rock meets neo-classical meets Deep House meets jazz, with plenty of style, beauty and substance to spare. Guaranteed to liven up your latest social occasion!

Listen Here - "Sacred Days"


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Joe Smooth - Rejoice (1989)

One of Chicago's earliest bestsellers in the genre that would later be known as "Deep House", Joe Smooth is mostly known for his 1988 single 'Promised Land' which helped House break out from the underground into mainstream dancefloor nirvana. What most people don't realize however, is that his one and only full length release the following year is also one of the earliest and most fully realized records in a genre that was moving faster than the speed of light.

That being said, there's some great stuff here that is fascinating to hear considering the place and time which it was created in - the beats are more post-disco that full blown House or the distant specter of Drum & Bass. Still, a few boneified classsics can be found throughout - the glitzy groove of 'For The Love Of Money', the sample guitar rippin' 'Children Weep' and the proto-jungle punchline known as 'One Moment In Love' are all quite noteworthy in their own particular manners.

But let's be honest here: most people don't give a damn about dance music that didn't come out in the here and now: the stuff doesn't have much of a shelf life to picky ears. To those of you who'd like to take a trip into the past, where things were in the midst of change and revolution from day to day instead of year to year, you might be quite pleased with what you find in Rejoice.

Listen Here - "Children Weep"


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