The future is back

It’s almost a tradition that I open one of these with an admission. A confession, even. My last FSOJ before this one was number eleven. To my defense though – I do own Vol. 1 to 11. All of them.

So – what happened? Did I just fall out of love with the project? My guess is that a) the five years between number 11 and number 12 were a little too long for me, b) I probably missed the release of number 12 because I was living in Istanbul and had a lot of other things to deal with, and c) the label might have had a hard time to maintain the project’s visibility.

It’s not because the level of quality and the care that went into curating it would have diminished. But after about two decades of Acid Jazz and the strains of its over-commercialization even a more electronic Future Jazz evolution didn’t necessarily keep things on top of music lovers’ minds.

After having published 1 through 11 within twelve years, and following that five year gap, it took another fourteen years to publish the next five. But that’s not the story here. The real story is that there is a number 12. As well as a 13, 14 and 15. And now even a 16. They exist. Someone just kept going and never gave up on the idea and the concept. Michael Reinboth. Hats off for that, because all things considered that’s a small miracle.

The virtues of friendship

It’s actually two small miracles in one, because FSOJ 16 is one of the best of the series. Easily top three, and the series isn’t short of highlights. It’s a major reanimation – in the sense that it has been given a big injection of love, meaning and spirit, it’s both diverse and cohesive, expertly interweaving themes and aspects of Jazz without ever being too literal about things. You can feel the soul of FSOJ on this one.

Again, the question – what happened? One of the most obvious changes is the addition of Michael Rütten as co-curator of this edition. But what exactly did he bring to the game? A better selection? Not directly, would be my guess. I think that friendship made the difference. Guys knowing each other since forever, loving what they do, sharing the same curiosity and excitement, bouncing ideas and suggestions back and forth – instead of someone sitting in his office all by himself, looking at long lists of tracks and maybe sometimes getting lost in them.

Listening to all six sides of this beautifully paced compilation you can sense the love and care that went into putting it together. Just listen to the opening tracks. DJ Oil’s “Yaka Di Bango” (first time on vinyl) and Baba Sikander’s “Nine Serpents” are like two brothers that conspired to send a statement to the listeners. DJ Oil delivers it with a slow, hypnotic chugger, saying this is a tribal affair, Baba Sikander adding that it’s a spiritual one as well.

Without making this too much of a spoiler – Sikander’s contribution wonderfully represents what makes FSOJ 16 special. It provides perspective and joy, has a fine balance of electronics and spirituality – and it is still guaranteed to make people move. Imagine that. Grooving to a traditional Hindu hymn. Fabulous track to slide in your set when you want to hint at more oomph later on.

The themes deepen with the Kaan Düzarat Remix of Ilhan Ersahin’s Istanbul Sessions’ “Birds”. Düzarat embeds the piece into a super relaxed, flowing deep house groove. Similar to “Yaka Di Bango”, the track doesn’t care much about song structures, sometimes dropping the rhythm for a moment, and placing the saxophone onto the groove like small improvisational morsels. It all adds up to grooving, smiling friendliness.

Shaking Up the Comfort Zone

Things get more spiritual, floating, and expansive with Bitchin Bajas. Their track “Amorpha” (originally from their 2022 double-album “Bajascillators”) gives us nearly ten minutes to slip into a meditative doze. The trio layers authentic live percussion over cascading, bouncy synthesizer loops. These electronic sequences were generated using the historic 1980s software Music Mouse (originally created by Laurie Spiegel), giving the repetitive patterns a uniquely human, evolving, and playful dynamic.

After all that spirituality and sophisticated agitation, Peter Gall serves us a well-placed, short intermezzo. It’s no wonder that an album with an eye for tribal, jazzy rhythms would feature projects led by drummers. Peter Gall is one of them. On “Eat The Sun” (another vinyl premiere) he dissolves analog percussion into free-form electronic textures. It’s a sharp, edgy piece that effectively pulls you out of the comfort built up over the first two sides of the album.

Frankfurt Meets Manchester

Contrast Trio’s “Spot”- exclusive to this compilation – is another really smart selection. The piano runs let me think of Manchester’s GoGo Penguin, and yet, it’s very Frankfurt (the trio’s hometown), being much more electronic. Spending a lot of time in that city, I am grateful for this. Listen, Frankfurt, this is as sophisticated and international as the city itself should come across. Be less provincial. Be more Contrast Trio.

Next comes an absolute standout ride: Booker Stardrum’s “Telluric” (from his album “Close-up On The Outside”). The rhythmic constructions sound inspired by Indonesian Gamelan music – polyrhythmic, interlocking, and structurally “continuous” without ever becoming chaotic. Over a deep, warm, repetitive bassline, an alto saxophone wails with beautiful dissonance in the first section. In the second movement, the track shifts into long, drawn-out, hauntingly emotional notes. What sounds like a hybrid between a human voice and a wind instrument is actually an electro-acoustically processed cello, played by Lester St. Louis. This is as free as it gets on this compilation – a bold choice packed with suspense and exploration.

Right after Booker, Momoko Gill provides another cleverly placed break with “Test A Small Area”. Co-produced by “cult electronic artist” Matthew Herbert (that’s how he’s described on her Bandcamp), the London-based multi-instrumentalist delivers a short, intense piece of creative weirdness, diverging far from her more melodic works into an abstract playground that is both challenging and inspiring.

Back to the Dancefloor

Michael Reinboth steps up with “As If By Magic” (also a vinyl debut), serving a vibrant, analog mid-tempo delight. Featuring big, almost rock-like live drums by Peter Gall, a fat electronic bassline, organ-like synths by Roberto Di Gioia, and sweeping string arrangements, the track successfully captures the grand feeling of a live band event, rolling the 70s, 80s and 90s all up into one fat piece.

The club energy takes over completely with Trinidadian Deep & Bradford James. Their collaboration “Spirits in Motion” pushes the upper edge of speed for TD. It feels even more uptempo due to its tight live percussion. It’s a spiritual, floating piece, exactly what you’d hope to get from Dave Lovell. Probably fits nicely with some Ron Trent when you’re behind the decks.

A truly historic piece follows with Soulpatrol’s “Love Variations Part 1” in the Charlie Dark Reconstruction. The remix dates back to the original release period in 2001, right before the highly promising Frankfurt project by Michael Rütten and Max Schneider unfortunately split up due to differing future plans. Charlie Dark’s reconstruction is a minimalist, hypnotic classic. The moment the claps set in, the magic of the groove unfolds. It sounds way more contemporary than you’d think, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see this timeless gem find its way back into quite a few DJ bags. Crank up the bass a little more when you do.

The Grand Finale: Exclusives and Tributes

As the second of the three exclusive tracks on the compilation, Felix Laband presents “No Stars Did Glow”. This eight-minute epic starts out like a fuzzy electronic “Take Five” homage, leaning into that distinct, uneven 5/4 jazz meter. Sudden bursts of ambush-like drums and distorted vocal comments both support and disrupt the flow. The raw energy of these cut-up drum patterns instantly brings to mind the late-90s breakbeat science of Xploding Plastix. More Powah To Yah!

Brittany Davis provides an elegant contrast with “Sun and Moon”. Recorded live during a KEXP studio session, it is one of the jazziest, most organic bits on the album. Classy and laid back, it plays out like a loose but confident live jam by a group of musicians who absolutely know what they are doing. It’s a free-flowing vocal jazz performance with a shared understanding of structure, capped off with a super elegant dissolve. You will find yourself wishing it was longer.

The club-ready final curtain belongs to Nico Zam with “Can You Prove There Is God” – the third exclusive piece of the album. This track lands us squarely back in the club, driven by tribal, rolling grooves with Zam adding inspired accents on trumpet. Listening to this, I am tempted to say yes, this is the kind of stuff that Nils Petter Molvaer’s early work should have progressed towards.

Rounding out the final side of the 3-LP set is Emanative feat. Jessica Lauren with “Om Supreme” in the Hector Plimmer Remix. Making its very first appearance on vinyl, this playful, spiritual afterthought is usually a staple opener for Compost DJ sets. It beautifully closes the album, paying a hypnotic homage to Alice Coltrane and bringing the compilation’s spiritual journey full circle.

A nice dilemma

Now there is this ugly hole in my collection. 12 to 15. I can’t leave it at that. Some things need to be complete. Like the Pop Ambient series. So I guess I will do something about it soon. But first, I’ll give this one a few more listens. It’s so wonderfully coherent, it has the right balance of challenging and pleasing, its stylistic wingspan is perfect. Let’s hope FSOJ 16 gets the praise it deserves so we don’t have to wait too long for number 17. Fingers crossed.

Future Sounds Of Jazz will be released on September 18, 2026.

Release for review:
V.A. – FUTURE SOUNDS OF JAZZ – COMPOST RECORDS – CPT 681-1

Get it on Bandcamp: Click