Uproot by DJ Rupture

The thing that’s easy to miss about Jace Clayton — Boston native, Madrid long-timer, current Brooklynite — is how fine an ear he has for the purely beautiful. So much of Uproot, the first “official” (as in licensed and generally available) mix-CD /rupture has made since 2002’s Minesweeper Suite, catches you short not for how hard it moves but for how lovely it sounds just laying there.

The Essential Marcos Valle Volume 2

The second volume in Mr. Bongo's Essential wrap-up of Brazilian wunderkind Marcos Valle focuses more on his easy listening and quasi-instrumental output, a set of suitably light productions that are far, far beyond the likes of Sergio Mendes and his breezy Brazilian contemporaries.

Jukebox Buddha by Various Artists

The Buddha Machine is a small contraption which acts as a sonic meditational aid — gently exuding its lo-fi balm through the public and private spaces of Asia. When the Chinese duo FM3 decided to bend its entry-level technology to their own creative will, they kick-started a cult and soon everyone from Brian Eno to Blixa Bargeld was singing the praises of this life-enhancing gadget.

Trésors de la chanson Judéo-Arabe by René Perez

Reinette L'Oranaise and Cheikh Raymond, like the popular local cabaret artists of the time (Lili Boniche, Raoul Journo, Line Monty, Rene Perez), were North African Jews who not only brought a sense of outsider cool to their singing but fused the cantor's keening song to the muezzin's call, creating a new and deeply emotive sound.

Line Monty, Raoul Journo and Rene Perez are all featured on MLP's terrific Tresors de la Chanson Judeo-Arabe series. Perez's volume is the most accessible; he was a remarkable singer with the slinkiness and fire of Al Green. On tracks like "Rimoun Rametni" and "Mchate Aliya," Perez brings a sense of flamenco's power and gravity to the music; on "Ouach el Habayeb," his vocals are soaring and effortless.

Algo Cambió by Astrud

Astrud's styling of electronic pop brought on a reminisce of the Smiths and Joy Division to their native of Barcelona, Spain. Consisting of Genis (keyboards/programming) and Manolo (vocals/guitar), the duo's creative breeze of gentle posture and trance-like connotation is most prevalent on this release.

Bertrand Burgalat

A producer, songwriter, and singer, Bertrand Burgalat emerged in the late '90s as one of the top individuals involved in the "nouvelle vague" (new wave) of French music. Burgalat inherited his love for music from his parents, who were mostly dedicated to the sounds of classical composers. However, and at the same time, he also started growing his own particular preferences and selections, by then focusing on the creations of bands like Roxy Music and Kraftwerk, or artists like Serge Gainsbourg. Bertrand is Influenced by a multitude of genres and inspiring musical styles situated in between the sounds of '60s pop and the innovative visions of fresh-sounding electronica style.

Brigitte Fontaine And Areski

Nice surrealistic french folk. Trancy minimal tunes with electronic flourishes and simple repetitive lulling vocal harmonies and world instrumentalisms. Vous et Nous is an endlessly fascinating cross-cultural experiment.