DJ MITSU THE BEATS Vinyl & CDs

Review: DJ Mitsu The Beats summons up a mellow, jazz-tinged spin on Norah Jones' early classic 'Sunrise', following a plucky piano-studio sesh shared with Takumi Kaneko of Cro-Magnon. After a cannonballing digital release, the "instrumental chill" track now takes shape as a 7" single, suturing Mitsu's laidback bop to Kaneko's smooth, sunspot piano lines. With cover photography by surf documentarian Atsushi Kumano, the single was in turn singled out for the surf music compilation Salt Meets Island Cafe: Sea of Love 2, curated by new lifestyle magazine Salt. Balancing beachside ease and unsurpassable musicianship, this track hankers at the title for next best surf-chill anthem.

Review: A new song by the acclaimed DJ Mitsu The Beats (a member of Sendai's hip-hop crew Gagle) and rapper Sorane, 'Daily Meets' is a chillaxed, fluid lo-hi-fi hip-hop tonic for those whose ears require polishing, refreshing and/or full-blown aneling in the morning. Getting at a quotidian "everyday life" themes - bleary eyes, coffee shop hissings, cutlery tinkles, long gazes out the window - this jazzy track blends sharp lyricism with repetitious slice-of-life themes, finding joy in those life periods that the less patient among us dare to call groundhog days. Backed up by the instrumental too, you're more than well equipped for both DJ and home system play here.