Welcome to the third chapter of this exquisite compilation series that was launched wayback in 1995. The longevity may be the most obvious proof for its success - and quality! Not for nothing in the past years Future Sounds Of Jazz has been voted repeatedly one of the best compilation series of all times in English and German music magazines like Mixmag, Jockey Slot and Groove. While trends in downtempo music have altered and evolved since the inaugural installment of the Future Sounds of Jazz series, one thing has remained consistent: the series has provided quality compilations featuring some of electronic music's most respected downtempo producers alongside up-and-coming talent.

Call To Arms and Angels is the title of the twelfth studio album from South London collective Archive. A 17 track double album (triple LP) recorded at RAK studios in London. Deluxe editions of the album also include a bonus soundtrack album of new and exclusive instrumentals, as featured in the band’s Super 8 documentary that will accompany the release of the album. Produced by Archive and long time collaborator Jérome Devoise, Call To Arms and Angels is the band’s first studio set since 2016’s The False Foundation.

Caught like many other mid-'90s male instrumentalist/female singer duos were in the commercial slipstream of Portishead's success, Mono deftly steered clear of the trip-hop conundrum for the most part with Formica Blues. Certainly there was a certain shared sense of cinematic drama and haunting gloom that informs plenty of songs - consider the Get Carter-sampling "Silicone," while "The Outsider" has an emotional directness Beth Gibbons would be proud of. The fact that lead single "Life in Mono" samples Portishead favorite John Barry and works with breakbeats didn't necessarily help Mono stand out more, for instance. But observations that Saint Etienne rather than the Bristol duo makes for a better role model are actually more accurate, and certainly on "Life in Mono" the keyboards and melancholy yet wistful singing of Siobhan de Maré suggests the likes of "Avenue" more than it does "Sour Times"…

The fourth volume in the Future Sound of Jazz series is an experimental fusion of Jazz and Trip-Hop that perfect for a late night chillout session and creates a fantastic atmosphere.

The aptly named Do You Like My Tight Sweater? slinks and bounces on a funky backbone of fat basslines and innovative beats that support singer Roisin Murphy's sly, theatrical vocals and lyrics. Part catwoman, part droid, her singing ranges from a knowing purr to an androgynous growl and creates characters like party weirdos, dominatrixes, killer bunnies, and ghosts. As dramatic as her vocals are, however, Murphy is an antidiva; her musical surroundings equal her singing in importance. The other half of Do You Like My Tight Sweater?'s individuality comes from Mark Brydon's arrangements, which combine fluid tempos, sudden breakbeats, witty sound effects, and unearthly keyboards in sci-fi grooves that appeal to the brain and body. Standout tracks like "Fun for Me," "I Can't Help Myself," "Lotus Eaters," and "Party Weirdo" mix sensuality, technology, funk, and electronica in a unique and stylish blend. While some of the sillier songs like "On My Horsey" and "Dirty Monkey" disrupt the flow of Do You Like My Tight Sweater?, the danceable creativity of Moloko's debut overrides its quirks.

Thievery Corporation's Eric Hilton and Rob Garza have always treated the line between acoustic and electronic music as a drunken sailor might, unpredictably falling on one side or the other with equal frequency. By this measure, The Richest Man in Babylon is their soberest effort to date, striding confidently into jazz, soul, world beat, and other styles with a direct, reverential approach. The band's last record, Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi, featured a set of classic jazz tunes unadorned with remixes or reinterpretation. But the songs on Babylon are originals, incorporating not just jazz but Afro-beat, Brazilian dance, Persian and Indian music, reggae, and psychedelia, all while making expert use of new and old collaborators like Sleepy Wonder, Lou Lou, and Shinehead. Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini makes an instant impression on the first track, "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes," her voice freeing the song's melody and structure with just a few hypnotic bars. It's hard to call this an electronic record at all; even their dub-influenced tracks miss a certain studio sheen, as if Hilton and Garza simply waded into a sweltering Jamaican beach party and hit record. But while it misses the ambient, ethereal edge that made The Mirror Conspiracy a downtempo classic, Babylon satisfies with organic energy and tasteful eclecticism.