Various Artists - 20 Years of Bastard Jazz

4LP Box Set 

From its humble beginnings in 2001, the Brooklyn label Bastard Jazz Recordings has trailblazed a unique path in the world of independent record labels. Appealing to both DJs and music fans from all walks of life, BJR has become known for its eclectic sound & community of global artists from Mumbai to Napoli, New York to Kinshasha, who touch on everything from funk to hip-hop, house music to forward thinking beats, soul to jazz and international sounds, along with its unrelenting commitment to the vinyl medium. This November, the label will be celebrating 20 years of operation in various incarnations and are releasing a special compilation and a DJ friendly 4xLP titled ’20 Years of Bastard Jazz’ filled with brand new cuts from its current roster, plus a selection of catalog material, some of it classic, some of it overlooked, and some of it unpressed.

Highlights from the compilation include Australian outfit The Goods, who team up with Steve Spacek (famously of the eponymous British band) on the spacey future soul banger, “FEELS 4 U,” while label stalwarts Potatohead People (who recently teamed up with both De La Soul, Jazzy Jeff, and Kaidi Tatham as well as a host of others on their new album) deliver “Bonzai View,” with its live instrumentation & technical prowess fused with a head-nodding boom-bap beat the group has become known for. Pittsburgh producer Buscrates delivers “Spotlight,” a slinky modern funk / boogie production, while brand new signing POSY gives us “Amai,” a delicate beat construction with gorgeous strings, horns and live bass weaving in and out.