Travel, the 19th studio album by Australian improvisational trio The Necks, documents their recent practice of starting each day in the studio with a 20-minute trio improvisation. The recordings offer some of their most ecstatic and captivating music cut to tape.

Which brings us to Norwegian Grammy-winning pianist and composer Wesseltoft's latest for his own Jazzland label. Halfway between the lounge lizard irony of Dimitri from Paris and the lyrical quartet settings of Dave Brubeck or the acoustic Herbie Hancock, Sharing is one of those mould-breaking sets that tend to outlast the vagaries of musical fashion.

The best parties are never planned. When friends spontaneously drop by with other people in tow, that you don ́t even know, but will have learned to love by the end of the evening. And everyone contributes to the buffet: a popular classic dish, an unfamiliar delicacy, or a surprising specialty that makes you gasp: `What on earth is that?` with delight. The mood of De-Phazz ́s 17th studio album, with which the band is celebrating it ́s 25th anniversary, is similarly relaxed and joyful. Host and sample scientist Pit Baumgartnern shares Quincy Jones ́ attitude: “When you bring together what does not go together, you can only win.” He combines gritty rock vocals with a church choir, an alphorn (traditional alpine horn) with Ethno-Jazz, enhances new tunes with fragments of retro-sound- elements, thus enabling the exceptional voices to shine even brighter. “Pure moments of joy” are those when the various musical elements intertwine, and Baumgartner realizes: This works!

The seaside club Café del Mar in Ibiza has become one of the world capitals for electronic chill-out music, and after lending their name to a popular series of CD compilations, this special three-disc set pays homage to the bar on the occasion of its first quarter-century in business. Café del Mar 25th Anniversary 1980-2005 features 45 tracks whose insistent but laid-back beats are potent and relaxing at the same time. Artists include Lovers Lane, Zuell, Rue de Soleil, Tom Oliver, Lemongrass, DJ Three, Koru, the Light of Aidan, Joke Society, and many more.

Pete Namlook was one of the most influential protagonists of ambient music during the 1990s. Inspired by Oskar Sala, one of the pioneers of electronic music, Namlook focused on the untapped potential of analogue synthesizers, often developed or extended in his laboratory. After a nine-year break, the Koolfang series has been resurrected with its trademark "Deep Jazzy Chill-Out" sound, invented long before the current trend of "lounge compilations". This time Pete’s vocals are featured and his voice will go right under your skin and sonically transport you to the beach, the wind, and the salt of Fuerteventura.

IC Executive Producer, Mark Sakautzky: "Every week I go through numerous demo-tapes from all over the world, and rarely have I encountered music that was so abundant with lively, living and vital energy than this debut album by Quiet Force.
Music is always at its best when it reflects lite as opposed music that has been carefully manufactured, produced, made, styled. These guys not only made me sit up and take notice, they made me really listen and I amply felt their happy rhythms, their heartfelt emotion, their love of life. This music just wraps around you like a comfortable blanket. You can dance too, you can make lonely you can let yourself go with it, but best of all: fly a kite to it…

During a Jazz Festival in Frankfurt 1997, Bill Laswell introduced Pete Namlook to Karl Berger. Both were immediately into the idea of working together on a new combination of Jazz and Electronic Music. What came out was a collection of pieces that range from Jazz to 70's film music to Ambient and Blues. The sound of Karl Bergers vibraphone and the liveliness of his performances in Pete's studio were stunning. If you listen closely to the tracks "Insight" and "True Blue" you will hear Karl breathing deeply while he plays… he creates unconsciously a perfect accompaniment to his solos that gives a rare organic environmental feel to the music. The tremendous value of improvised music… there are not just phrases being played and combined… the minds and bodies of the musicians are fully involved and in a constant process of musical creation.

Space-lounge-jazz supremo Jimi Tenor attends the keyboards, drum machines and syn-flutes for a choice retro-futurist jag with Hamburg’s Bureau B.

The Compost crew gets their hands on Ennio Morricone for some major remix efforts. On Remixes Vol. 1, International Pony kicks things off with a silly homage ditty, but Alex Attias and Swell Session quickly get things into house territory with their mixes. If you've ever wanted to dance to the harmonica of "Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo," now's your chance! And, as expected, Hakan Lidbo goes tech-house blippy on "Alla Serenita." Leroy Hanghofer brings some bright, ringing tones to "Beat N. 3," while Needs offers "Amore Come Dolore" some mellow jazz. Kabuki puts some speedy breaks to "Dal Mare," and the Butti 49 give "Rivoluzione" an Afro-jazz vibe…

Pete Namlook was one of the most influential protagonists of ambient music during the 1990s. Inspired by Oskar Sala, one of the pioneers of electronic music, Namlook focused on the untapped potential of analogue synthesizers, often developed or extended in his laboratory. This album is dedicated to Klaus Kuhlmann who died on the 14th of November 1995.