v/a- NUMERO 95 LP

An absolutely wonderful little compilation of 90s watery elevator jazz, and another great reissue from the ever-great Numero Group.

Jazz was at a very interesting place around this time, with fusion having become old enough to drink and the emergence of electronic instruments old hat. Rockit was '83, people.

The world was seeking fresh new territories, emboldened by the birth of the World Wide Web, and we wanted our easy listening to reflect both this newfound sense of wonder and the slick, corporate-mandated rhythms of the dot.com bubble.

These observations are played out by now, but it's important to remind yourself that the cynicism and ironic detachment people often show towards this stuff often obscures the value it might hold.

Easy listening, smooth jazz, new age - all oft-maligned and oft-discarded up until revival acts and music critics began scouring the web for anything cool and retro. In that, we lose the fact that this stuff really was still boundary-pushing in a lot of ways.