MURO Vinyl & CDs

Review: Japanese heavyweights HHV continue their ongoing trawl through the back catalogue of long-serving hip-hop producer, DJ, record collector and self-styled King of Diggin', Muro. Here they present the second part of the dusty-fingered hero's turn-of-the-millennium Pan Rhythm series of 12" singles, this time presenting it on a tidy seven inch single. 'Hip-Hop Band' is a weighty, floor friendly, horn-heavy re-make of the Stetsasonic song of the same name, with local mic man Boo delivering tweaked versions of the U.S crew's verses in his native Japanese. While jazzy, the bombastic backing track - which can be heard in full on the flipside instrumental version - is forthright and club-ready, making the single a must-have for working hip-hop DJs and those who love the more up-tempo end of the rap spectrum.

Review: Renowned DJ and selector MURO is a Jedi-level compiler and this new collection of his delves into Victor's extensive archives to spotlight a world of Japanese jazz, fusion and AOR. It take sin plenty of internationally known names like Yasuko Agawa on the sunset sounds of 'L.A. Night', Sadistics who offers the more psyched out guitar leans of 'On the Seashore', Yuji Ohno's neo-Balaeric bliss-out 'The Dawn of Seychells' and Hiroshi Fukumura's soul soothing Ry Ayres-style melodies on 'White Clouds.' These are luxurious sounds and timeless tracks with MURO's signature funky perspective making this a brillaint choice for brighter, warmer days.

Review: Fourth Wave's latest compilation feels like a musical postcard from Japan's vibrant underground, gliding through genres with effortless charm. Mari Nakamoto's 'Day Dreaming' sets a tranquil mood with her airy vocals drifting over soft, dreamy instrumentals. Yudai Suzuki's 'Midnight Calling' brings smoky sax riffs and laid-back grooves, perfect for late-night introspection. Yasuhiro Abe's 'Night Fish' dives into psychedelic waters, swirling with hypnotic melodies and unpredictable rhythms. Maki Asakawa's 'Kohi Hitotsu' radiates raw emotion, her voice rich with longing. Yuji Ozeki's 'Futaribun No Yume' blends traditional Japanese sounds with modern electronics, crafting a sound both timeless and futuristic. Jin Kirigaya's 'Matenro Monogatari' closes the collection with cinematic depth, its sweeping arrangement lingering long after the final note.

Review: The legendary DJ Muro is behind this superb new P-Vine compilation, Diggin Groove Diggers: Best Of Tribe. Muro is a truly a-grade digger and one of his homeland of Japan's most famous. Here he collates together some of his favourite songs from Tribe, a rather legendary spiritual jazz collective from the Motor City. This music has been revered for more than 50 years and now for the first time gets put together on one album that is both a perfect primer for newbies and a great collection for those long-time fans.