SINGLES

SUPER FURRY ANIMALS: Fire In My Heart (Creation) - the boys from the valleys are unlikely to top the success of brilliant last single Northern Lites, not with this return to their more simple roots. This is a quiet, softly-spoken ballad delivered in their unmistakeably relaxed but meaningful way. The usual spacey whirrings run in the background. But they've done this sort of thing much better before with songs like If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You (6/10)

BRASSY: I Can't Wait (Wiija) - a simple piece of electro pop with a catchy chorus and a smooth, rolling bassline. The vocal is delivered perfectly and this should get heads nodding immediately (9/10) PB

SCOTT GROOVES featuring PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC: Mothership Reconnection (Soma) - this kicks off with more than just a sample of George Clinton's funk classic Mothership Connection, before exploding into a superb piece of bouncy French house mixed with Daft Punk. Jeans ad star Flat Eric would shake his head off to this one. It's only spoilt by an excellent but misplaced drum solo in the middle (9/10)

JAMES: I Know What I'm Here For (Mercury) - this is the taster single for James's new album, due out next month. Tim Booth's distinctive vocals ride high above a rich texture of keyboards and guitars which sounds a little like former peers The Inspiral Carpets. I'll reserve judgement till the album comes out (7/10)

ALBUMS

GANG STARR: Full Clip, A Whole Decade Of Gang Starr (Virgin/EMI) - this experienced duo still know how to combine thought-provoking street rhyme with the best in jazz and funk samples. Guru and DJ Premier's tales from New York's Brooklyn have a relaxed vibe which allows the lyrics to inflict the blows without resorting to the aggressive stance favoured by many rappers who have come and gone in the last ten years.

New track Discipline explodes the myth that all hip-hoppers are trigger-happy upstarts, with lines like "just because I want to don't mean I will/just because I'm angry don't mean I kill." Tracks from throughout the last decade sit alongside each other perfectly with tracks like Mass Appeal and Tonz 'o' Gunz just as good as older ones like Ex Girl To Next Girl and Just To Get A Rep. Guru's words of wisdom now are impressive, but he had an old head on young shoulders even when he started.

Old jazz stars like John Coltrane and Billy Holliday even get a mention when the pair talk about their influences. A double CD from a superb double act (9/10)

VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Best Ibiza Anthems Ever (Virgin) - these may be the best Ibiza anthems but most of the tracks are already included on the numerous Ibiza compilations we have already reviewed this year.

Yes, the tunes are all here - Pete Heller, Phats & Small, Fatboy Slim, Shanks & Bigfoot, The Tamperer, Chemical Brothers and the rest of them. But at least other compilation makers bothered to mix the tracks.

The inclusion of older tracks on the second CD like Cafe Del Mar 98, God Is A DJ and Higher State of Consciousness is the only thing which sets this apart from the rest of the record companies looking to cash in on the popularity of the Balearic island.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.