Thanks to founder Gilles Peterson's total saturation in slick Rare Groove and sophisticated modern jazz, the Brownswood label avoids the cartoonishness of Ninja-Tune-style trip-hop. On top of that, Peterson's well-versed in cutting-edge electronica, and this fifth volume of the Bubblers series is particularly notable for its digitally distressed textures that take the sheen off the otherwise dayglo-bright productions.

Any of the Bubblers compilations will serve you a multi-culti, outternationalist melt embracing Peterson's inordinately eclectic tastes: psychedelic soul, galactic jazz, muddy hip-hop, rootsical Caribbean dubnology. But nothing here descends to shameless homage. Dig if you will Michael Olatuja's "Hold On," a mocha croon over deliciously jagged drums and finely diced guitar. Even the more experimentally digital tunes, like "Happy," by NYC bro-and-sis duo Daru & Rena, keeps the beat-glitchery organic and crunchy beneath Rena's Celtic folk-tinged vocals. Ron Basejam's "Into My Life" is symphonic cyber-soul complete with clenched violins and wind machine.

Volume 5 should see off anyone that still believes the Brownswood vision is buried in a long-gone musical golden age. The retro dial is turned way down, and as analogue synth fetishist Dâm-Funk's track title puts it, "Searchin' 4 Funk's Future" has never sounded like such a… read more »