Future Soul Sessions Volume One

The broken-beat/future-jazz scene may not command the same attention as it did in its late-’90s West London heyday, but that doesn’t mean the style has gone away—instead, it’s spread out, sonically as well as geographically. (This mix-CD, compiled by Ernesto Vigo from WHCR’s Elevations show, mainly features stateside artists.) You’ll have to keep any intolerance for Rhodes piano in check to fully enjoy this album, but much of the material, particularly the tracks that focus on the beats, can be pretty damn funky. The best cuts follow the stripped-down, tough template of Arch_typ’s “Flexitones,” driven by syncopated, chopped-up drums, buzzing synth bass and the merest touch of keyboard filigree.

—Bruce Tantum