This 20-track compilation of tracks from the Sonar Kollektiv label archive runs the gamut from coffeehouse R&B to jazz-house to more experimental electronics. What unites them generally is SK's high level of quality, and specifically,
Jazzanova's unequaled ear for what sounds great in a mix of '80s-influenced R&B and post-disco. Virtually all of the mix is free-form, mostly vocal-led, and a mixture of organic or electronics on the rhythm end -- waves of synths are as common as acoustic guitar picking. It's a tribute to
Jazzanova's talents that, in this context, Sonar Kollektiv releases sound even better than they do individually, led by one chestnut that actually did source from the '80s: "I Just Wanna Sing for You" by Norman Weeks & the Revelations. ~ John Bush