Compost Records have been busy for the past 10 years releasing the Future Sounds Of Jazz compilation series since 1995, reaching Volume 10 this year. I was a little wary checking out a compilation in its 10th volume but ended up really enjoying this cd. With artists collected on past volumes like Jimi Tenor, Patrick Pulsinger, The Mighty Bop, Nightmares On Wax, Tortoise, Metamatics, Funkstörung, Trüby Trio, As One, Tosca, Jazzanova, and Burnt Friedman, there's sure to be some unknown artists found here we will come to know and love in the years to come. This volume was compiled by Michael Reinboth and mixed by Michael Reinboth and Beanfield with music released between 2002 and 2004.

The compilation sounds like it was created intended for a double lp setup with 15 to 20 minute segments that sometimes mix well while sometimes the tracks switch drastically. You might wonder where the jazz is in some of these tracks, as they will sound more downbeat or electro at times, but sometimes that could be attributed to the fact that they have been remixed. Kicking the compilation up another notch is the fact that there are a handful of unreleased tracks (some of which are the highlight of the set).

Fred Everything's Elevate (the Maurice Fulton Remix) is a worthy intro track as it starts the compilation out on a laidback jazzy vibe.

Povo's Uam Uam (the Moonstarr Remix) is a rhythmic workout with some pretty sly sounding drums. Some pretty sweet trumpet enters the picture along with some grooving jazz bass.

Ricardo Villalobos' Fools Garden (Black Conga) uses soie vocal sounds to augment the rhythm for one of the freakier tracks here. It's definitely a stunner that will stand out when you first listen to this compilation.

Hot Chip's Playboy was the only track I didn't like and felt didn't fit well on the compilation because it has more of a rap flavor. It might work in another context but here it just seemed to ruin the flow for me.

Per Cussion's Manhatten Jungle sounds like it could've been from Lamberto Bava's Demons (with its Claudio Simonetti soundtrack) from the mid 1980s. It's got some out there horn solos and a pulsing 80s flare to it.

Syclops' Fairlight Sunrise continues with an 80s synth type sound coupled with some drum pyrotechnics before moving smoothly into one of the best tracks on this compilation.

Süssholz (Ben Mono's Low Level Mix) by Gabriel Ananda has some addictive synth action going on along with some burning sub bass which will shake your stereo.

Metaboman's Role For Kale has a rock solid electro rhythm whose sub bass will shake your foundation mixed with a sweet electric jazz piano sound that works.

Origami sounds like the bastard son of 80s group Yellow with a decidedly jazzier bent on First Note. The rhythms in Cal Tjader's Los Bandidos (the Michael Reinboth Remix) seem to come straight out of the Origami track, but you can tell this track is a true jazz original here by one of the premier vibraphonist in jazz with the added touch of Compost Records label owner Michael Reinboth remix touch.

General Electrics' Terms And Conditions Apply (the Entity Remix) has the bassline that could make this a favorite for a lot of people. The female vocals don't seem used enough though for some reason.

The organic swell that is Sebastien Tellier's La Ritournelle ends the compilation on a cinematic, orchestrated note, as plaintive piano leads the way through this sweet set closer.

The latest in Compost Records' FSOJ series airs 12 fresh jazz/electronica hybrids, selected by Michael Reinboth and mixed by Reinboth and Beanfield (Michael Mettke and Jan Krause). An exemplary, envelope-pushing playlist that's destined to soundtrack the sharpest gatherings over the coming months.