Various Artists: Future Sounds Of Jazz Vol. 9

Downtempo electronica rarely warrants much critical respect, but judging from the ceaseless stacks of product geared toward the fusion-minded lounge crowd, the genre represents a robust shadow economy that shows no sign of decline. Sifting through the surplus involves rubbing against overwrought music-as-life-force spirituality and all that it entails, from stale world-beat mining to gruesomely earnest vocalists whose calls for one-love unity prove counterproductive, to say the least. Every so often, though, a relative beacon like Future Sounds Of Jazz Vol. 9 comes along and signals a highpoint for downtempo–that amorphous call word for everything from house and acid-jazz to future-soul and so-called "broken beats." Compiled by Compost, a better-than-most label with ties to the genre signpost Jazzanova, Future Sounds covers a lot of ground while keeping a sharp eye on quality control. Hird's "Keep You Kimi" saunters through warm keyboard mist and moody jazz waves that yawn and stretch into near-symphonic movements, touching on immaculate passages that make Future Sounds a production fetishist's dream. Melody plays a big role in these vocal-heavy tracks, from Stateless' hiccupping diva dose "Leave Me Now" to Joseph Malik's fidgety house melter "Futuristica (Grand Unify Vox Remix)." All of Future Sounds circles around a soulful house center, but the highlights squeeze twitchy energy into their supple surfaces: Alexander Kowalski's "Along" flails and slinks through disorienting off-time rhythm fits, while Triplane's "Something To Get Excited About" sounds like drum 'n' bass slowed to marching-band speed. Parts of the compilation wander through bland background music, but most of Future Sounds Of Jazz Vol. 9 shows how tracks needn't be boring to suit their mellow moods.