Red Snapper are a British instrumental band founded in London in 1993 by Ali Friend (double bass), Richard Thair (drums), and David Ayers (guitar). The three core members are also joined by various guest musicians and vocalists on different records. According to music journalist, Jason Ankeny (Allmusic) "the British acid jazz trio were notable for their pioneering synthesis of acoustic instruments and electronic textures". Stylistically, Red Snapper's music contains elements of jazz, funk, jungle, trip-hop, hip-hop and breakbeat, as well as references to early psychedelic and progressive rock. The band released three EPs before signing to Warp Records for their debut album, Prince Blimey (1996).[1] The band were a somewhat unusual feature of Warp Records' 1990s roster: in contrast to the studio-oriented IDM the record label primarily dealt in, the band had a live and organic sound: a smoky mixture of dub, jazz and all tempos of breakbeat from trip hop to drum and bass. In 1997, Red Snapper (along with the Foo Fighters) supported The Prodigy on their Fat of the Land tour in the UK For their follow-up Making Bones they were joined by jungle MC Det, Byron Wallen the jazz trumpeter and singer Alison David. The latter was replaced by Karim Kendra by their third album, Our Aim Is to Satisfy (2000). In early 2002, Red Snapper announced its dissolution. Also in 2002 the compilation album It's All Good was released. It included a previously unreleased track, "Ultraviolet".

Joseph "Amp" Fiddler, originally a keyboardist from Detroit, is a funk and soul musician who has worked with Enchantment, the Dramatics, George Clinton, Moodyman, Jamiroquai, The Brand New Heavies, Fishbone and Maxwell. Along with his brother, Budz, he realsed the album Mr Fiddler in 1990 on Elektra. His debut solo album Waltz of a Ghetto Fly was released in 2004. The new album'Afro Strut' is the follow up to that record and a sign that his assured and open-minded approach to his own sound has engendered a stylistic leap forward, creating in the process a diverse and ambitious second album. As a man who has achieved almost every goal he has set himself, whether it be becoming a multi instrumentalist talent, joining George Clinton's Funkadelic, or developing a base for like minded musical luminaries to collaborate and create, it was always to be expected. 'Waltz...' was more of a vibe, a full stop on a long period of his life to that point and a drawing together of unfinished songs and feelings from his youth. 'Afro Strut' was to be the fresh start that sees Amp able to look further forward as well as back to his roots, and as a result has the feel of a more fully-realised vision. The array of collaborators and contributors to the record further emphasises this approach. Opener 'Faith' sets the standard with Amp joined by Raphael Saadiq on a timelessly deep ode to spirituality of a different kind. The UK's Justin Crawford (one half of Manchester-based dj/production outfit Unabombers) is brought in for two of the standout disco-flecked cuts 'Right Where You Are' and 'Ridin'. Amp's Jazz heritage rolls to the fore on the uplifting 'If I Don't', recalling his days in doo-wop outfit The Enchantments as a teenager and laying open the musical make up of its creator. The sadly departed Jay Dilla's group Slum Village, another product of Camp Amp, the basement recording studio at Amp's 7 Mile home that has also had local luminary Moodyman in regular residence, is represented on the bumping 'I Need You'. Tony Allen, the man accredited with creating afrobeat alongside the great Fela Kuti, provides the drums on Afro Strut and another great, Jay-Z collaborator, Grammy winning string arranger and former member of MFSB Larry Gold steps up on album closer 'Hustle. By referencing many of the great contemporary black music movements be it Jazz, Doo-Wop, Afrobeat, soul or hip-hop, Afro Strut is, like its predecessor, without modern day comparison. The collusion of a lifetime of influences and experiences that are drawn on, used, discarded and Amp-lified across twelve rich slices of raw funk. www.ampfiddler.com www.myspace.com/ampfiddler

D'Stephanie is more than a steady fixture on the Belgian club scene- for about 14 years she played from New york to London to the Gambia to Rome to Paris to Amsterdam to Barcelona... for a mixed crowd ( the hip- the Royal- the young- the old- the jetset and the gettho) through the boundaries of Broken beat- nu soul- afro- House- ElectroFunk- freestyle breaks and jamaican riddems

Nicola Conte is a DJ and producer from Bari, Italy known for introducing an innovative style of acid jazz that incorporates bossa nova themes, melodies drawn from Italian film scores of the 1960's, easy listening themes, and ethnic Indian music.

Conte, a classically-trained musician, is mastermind of a collective of acid jazz revivalists, "The Fez collective" (and originally a member of the group Fez Combo), based in the Italian town of Bari, and the Schema label, their record label for promoting their distinctly Italian approach to acid jazz.

Conte's first album was Jet Sounds of 2000. The single "Bossa Per Due" gained international recognition and was an underground hit. It was used almost immediately for a prime-time commercial for Acura automobiles. The album was licensed for American distribution by Thievery Corporation's Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL) label in the summer of 2001 as Bossa Per Due, and was slightly reconfigured version of the Italian Jet Sounds album. This was followed by the Jet Sounds Revisited remix album in late 2002. Two years later, Blue Note's French subsidiary released Conte's next album Other Directions. Conte also produced albums by other artists such as Paolo Achenza Trio.

Jazzanova is a crew of DJs/producers from Germany (Berlin, Hamburg & Munich). They have been producing hits in the breakbeat / electronic scene since 1996. Their music fuses many styles, including: acid jazz, soul & broken beat.