Back catalogue: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul

Review: Top class New York producer Tony Simon has been delving into his archives to serve up reissues of a load of his most crucial albums. From the turn of the millennium onwards, he was a pivotal beat maker, joining the dots between instrumental hip-hop, trip hop, jazz, broken beat and downtempo in his own unique way. Downtown Science manages to be both organic and earthy yet synthetic and futuristic all at once, with real instrumentation and great vocal samples next to killer drums.

Review: Blockhead is New York producer Tony Simon, a revered talent who has put out a wealth of crucial albums. They are all getting reissue treatment now as some are almost 20 years old, but they have weathered that time well. Music By Cavelight is another of his masterful takes on broken beat and nu-jazz and this one comes on nice orange-marbled wax. It peaked at number 43 on the UK Independent Albums Chart back in 2004 when it first landed and it only came to be on Nina Tune after its original label stopped answering the artist's calls.

Review: 20 years on from its initial release in 2004, Ninja Tune share the first ever reissue of Blockhead's Music By Cavelight. The New York-based alias of Tony Simon, this record is the quintessence of Ninja Tune's smoked-out trip-hop sound at the time, and for which Simon himself likewise came to be known. Recalling a time when instrumental beatsmiths were much likelier to consider their crafts artful enough to warrant calling their studios beat-smithies (as compared to the sadly throwaway feel of much instrumental hip-hop today), one can really hear the subtlety and care poured into each vignette here, our favourites among which are 'Bullfight In Ireland', 'Graveyard Hunt' and 'Bloop Bloop'; all play back like studies of a gritty, degage, sun-bathed vision of a bygone big smoke.

Review: Blockhead returns with a brilliant new album, weaving themes of death, afterlife and cyclical patterns through his signature sample-based sound. Known for his work with Aesop Rock and Ninja Tune, Blockhead has become a master at blending downtempo and upbeat styles across jazz, funk, blues and more. His ability to create expansive narratives without relying heavily on lyrics continues to thrill, using only a few vocal samples to guide the listener. The album explores life's natural endings with humor, irony and a touch of sarcasm, reflecting on the inevitable cycles that persist beyond individual experiences. Tracks like 'Earth's Farewell Tour' and 'They Got Therapy For That' offer introspection, while others, such as 'Dolphin Lundgren' and 'Burning Man in Tehran', provide joyful, quirky moments. Fans of Blockhead's work will appreciate the playful elements, with even a couple of tracks for the lovers. Not to be missed is the juxtaposition of Middle Eastern disco and festival vibes. The album is a perfect balance of humour and introspection as we reflect on cycles and endings.