Soil & “Pimp” Sessions have release their 6th album this year and they are at the Jazz Café today (and WOMAD tomorrow) so as the warmed up in Camden Town, I grabbed a few words with front man Shacho.

The gig at the Pier Café was still some hours away as I met the two main singers in the band. Barnaby had just come from relaxing on the beach and Dan was prostrate in the middle of the dance floor below the impressive circular ceiling playing Tetris on his mobile

This special edition features 32 tracks from all the competing countries in the World Cup and it’s a right result.

From the most refined of Mughal emperors to the poorest servant, Indian classical musicians have entranced and enchanted audiences with their performances for thousands of years…

CrazyBread are one of the best bands on the London scene you have never heard of. Funky, soulful, witty and sexy to boot, it’s probably fair to say that their sound is just now gelling together from the impossibly diverse elements making it up

Babak Khiavchi is one of the heroes of underground music from Iran. He talks about how he has managed to continue the job from Iran to Canada and what he has in mind for the future…

Mention Impulse! Records to any seasoned discerning jazz follower and they’re sure to think of a label at the forefront, and often a step ahead, of an era that was heavily steeped in experimentation and political outrage. Fast forward to today however and Impulse! Records are best known for their classic album reissues. We catch up with Chico Hamilton and Mark de Clive-Lowe to talk old times and new directions

In which we examine the strange case of Western electronica and psychedelia being beamed out into every home across Iran at its most anti-Western extreme and how nobody, well almost nobody, seemed to notice

Pantone Records is the current Brighton based project of Gavin Smith, former Mr. Bongo and Disorient head and DJ extraordinaire

Hameed Khan Kawa, tabla maestro and artistic director of Musafir, formed Jaipur Kawa Brass Band in 1995 and since then he has been bringing his mixture of celebratory music around the world.

Ryota Nozaki's Jazztronik goes back to 1998 when a track was included on Japanese compilation 'F.E.E.L.' on Flower Records. This week sees the release of his new album in the UK

Kaushiki Chakrabarty had just got back to India after collecting the coveted BBC World Music Award for Asia/Pacific when we spoke. Her voice may be transcendent but her concerns are mundane things like catching up on missed classes.

Nippon-Speedy-Express No. 17 is now up and running on Samurai FM. As promised, Gerry Hectic meets up with Wah Wah 45's boss Dom Servini on the Platform before the Express departs.

Break Reform are Simon S, JJ Webster & Nanar. With a Gilles Peterson Worldwide session planned, two recent 12"s and a new album coming out, it seems to be all coming good all at once. Just to make sure Fly doesn't miss out, Gerry Hectic tracks down Simon S to get updated and find out about the Japanese connection.

From Jazz Hip Jap to hip Jap radio, Mr Hectic goes travelling the soundwaves and gets the lowdown on Nippon Speedy Express

Multi-instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney must have one of the most hectic schedules in the business. In between writing orchestral pieces and film scores, DJing, playwriting and planning his next tour, he is putting the finishing touches to his new album when I catch up with him at his South London studios.

Once upon a time in the West, DJ Krush’s name was on everybody’s lips along with that other master turntablist DJ Shadow. Eight LPs later, when most of his contemporaries have long since dropped away, Krush is still ‘meisoing’ along doing things his own way.

Popular music, as the name suggests, is the biggest selling type of music we have. It's exactly the same in Japan except more so. Over there music is more like a passion for everyone, not just for the odd few. Even the adults know the dance moves to their favourite artists.

Do you have specialist knowledge about Asian & Pacific music and culture?