Donna McGhee
Make It Last Forever

Meanjin's own producer + DJ extraordinaire Sampology AKA Sam Poggioli returns with this must-have LP! A culmination of the ideas previously heard on his last two EPs 'Natural Selections' & 'Mt Glorious', Sampo almost entirely pivoted away from a heavy sampled-based production into a largely live affair - with string quartets, woodwinds, 20-piece choirs, vibraphones, double bass, various pianos and synths... Like lots of Sampo's work, it's joyful, bouncy, textural and gorgeous front-to-back listening. Recorded from scratch in either his home studio or on his travels over the past four years, 'Regrowth' is the perfect album to sink into, thanks to its rich and colourful production. HUGE TIP!

After a few mega EP's, Kokoroko finally deliver their expansive and rich debut release on Giles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings label. Incredibly joyous compositions that beg to be heard live pull oodles of inspiration from the highlife and jazz sounds of West Africa, the Afrobeat and psych-funk sounds of the 70s and plenty of modern broken beat styles that have been perfected in their home city of London. Guaranteed to brighten up your day. Stunner!

Another Soundway Records home run! This compilation sees them exploring the fringes of the often maligned (by outsiders) genre of Caribbean party music, Soca; a re-invention of Calypso music. Seventeen blistering cuts of obscure soca crossover, rapso, electronic calypso, and Caribbean ‘soca-soul’... party starters galore!

Following up the critically acclaimed 'Teal', New Zealand percussion maestro Julien Dyne continues to tap future-soul, Afro-inspired house rhythms and nu-jazz grooves. Rarely have they sounded so effortless than here, setting a backdrop for a who's who of NZ talent (Lord Echo, Ladi6, Mara TK, Joe Dukie...). Man can do no wrong!

Eclectic sounds are as abundant here as ever with experimental saxophone prodigy Sam Gendel, as he strings along brief vignettes of global and lo-fi styling in his borderless jazz melodies. This time he's using some wicked vintage gear, including a 40-year-old Electro Harmonix DRM32 drum machine, antique synthesizers and a 60-year-old nylon string guitar. His voice, too, is a main feature, used at times like ASMR. Come for the high-concept banana art, but stay for the unlikely instrumental cover of Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road', which actually slaps so hard. Get it Gendell.