Specializing in future jazz beats you can also tick the boxes for Techno, House, Abstract and Minimal. As a vinyl head, their simple art design makes their releases very collectable and back catalogue hunters could start with Zero dB's early works. So it was a little worrying that we hadn't heard from them since they had a dabble in underground Hip Hop at the end of last year.

We need not worry now. Fluid Ounce is back with a brand new 12" coming out later this month by Nery Bauer. According to his web site, the three tracks called, 'Maharaja', 'Blepharospasm' and 'Transformnin' were due out in March. His previously Fluid Ounce release was a double a-side, 'Diana By Starlight'/'Mercado Do Porto' that urged towards the leftfield. The label describes the new material as "like being given saccharine jazz sweets by a stranger at the school gate, who then just grins fiendishly as you start hacking up your trachea on the sub-bass from Satan he has spiked you with."

So with that Stranger Danger alert, are they right? I think they are. 'Maharaja' is going to be hammered. Michael Rütten of Compost gets the first tracklisting appearance that I've seen on his Pure Soulpatrol Box and he knows a good tune! See below full listing and FLY credit points as Bossa Futura and RTB Jazz Orchestra also get listed.

The one you've got to be really worried about is 'Transformnin'. I've been over exposed to a little Ska-Punk of late and it's not the Madness/Specials AKA of old. So Ska-nu Jazz was not something I fell in love with straight away. You'll recognise it when you hear it as it's quite 'unusual'.

'Blepharospasm' has a real moody intro before breaking into a slow drum'n'bass kung fu computer game soundtrack. Fluid Ounce say this is more like the flavour of the forthcoming album which is very good news.

'Maharaja' itself is the great king of low-end d'n'b with some ridiculously fast triangle work. The guitar and synths reach out to Indo-jazz influences. So it's more you're your average old skool d'n'b. Perhaps only a Brazilian with a bass playing past in a heavy metal band could have produced this? I'm glad he did.

Peter Kruder's reaction was that he implied that they'd all been on funny substances to get this good. You'll feel very light headed yourself after this. Big recommendation.

Links:
Nery Bauer www.nerybauer.com
Fluid Ounce www.fluidounce.com
Nery Bauer on Jazzpicante Radio Mix Tracklisting below for 22-04-2005.
Terry Hall has been active again with the Dub Pistols of late
Michael Rutten - Compost Radio Show
PURE SOULPATROL BOX - tracklisting show #67
Treva Whateva - Music's Made Of Memories - Ninja
Bossa Futura - Sol Y Luna - Further Out Test
Soil & "Pimp" Sessions - Waltz For Goddess - Face The Music
Gap Mangione - Boys With Toys - Columbia
Carlos Garnett - Mystery Of Ages - Muse
Jon Lucien - Gaku - Columbia
Linda Williams - Elevate Our Minds - Arista
Bobby Caldwell - What You Won't Do For Love /Eddy Meets Yannah Remix - Victor CDR
NuTropic - Sambador - Comet
Azymuth - Jazz Carnival/Yoshis Edit - CDR
Konono No 1 - Lufuola NDonga - Ether
Nery Bauer - Maharaja - Fluid Ounce
Jamie Lidell - When I Come Back Around - Warp
Funkadelic - One Nation Under A Groove - White
Stevie Wonder - So What The Fuss/Original Mix - Motown
Creative Source - Pass The Feeling On - Polydor
Anetria Wright - The Feeling Of Love/Amp Fiddler Mix - Stillmusic
Detroit Experiment - Highest - Planet E
Charles Earland - Phire - Mercury
RTB Jazz Orchestra - Svabdena Igra Kraj Bistrice - Cosmic Sounds