Stephen H. Cumberbatch (also known professionally as C’batch) bridges the past and present on his latest instrumental release, "The Vault 1 (C’batch Smooth / Rough)". Operating out of White Plains, New York, where he runs the independent Stevette Music, Inc. with his wife Yvette, C'batch took a remarkably reflective approach here. By blowing the dust off unresolved concepts from his past *Unfinished Business* era,...

Helena May’s new single, “Side Effects,” doesn’t just enter a room; it strides in with the kind of confident, hip-swinging swagger that makes you instinctively check your own posture. This is Brit-Funk with a capital F, built on a groove that feels less like a rhythm and more like a wry, talkative companion. It’s got that specific, indefinable warmth of an old analogue recording,...