Mushroom Jazz Vol. 4

Mark Farina mixes his fourth installment in his acid jazz series, Mushroom Jazz, as a groovy hip-hop and down-tempo house chillout record. From the laid-back vibe of the opener, Pete Rock's "A Little Soul," to Dubble-D's futuristic, David Holmes-esque jazz shuffle, "Big Fish," Farina is in top form, creating an album to space out, dance, or make out to. The repetition and retro vocals of Scienz of Life's "Hot Banana's" sound like Stereolab, and People Under the Stairs' "Suite for Beaver, Pt. 1" makes a great West Coast hip-hop entry. The soul diva and French vocals on Sub-Conscious' "Irreconcilable" sum up the feeling of the whole record — sultry, deep soul, swimming through a psychedelic haze with an eye for kitsch that gets just close enough to make the whole thing fun.