Daily Download: "The Horse," Sound Directions

For years now, the genius hip-hop producer Madlib has had a project called Yesterdays New Quintet, nominally a group of jazz musicians but actually just Madlib multitracking himself on drums, bass, guitar and keyboards, and sampling and collaging the results -- which were oddly tepid, noodly, and altogether unworthy of such an incandescent talent. The project has now morphed into Sound Directions, with Madlib still handling most of the drums, bass and keyboards, but bringing in session musicians to add horns and other instruments. The music on this first release, "The Funky Side of Life," is still a significant step below Madlib's output as a beat-maker, but these funk-jazz tracks have an intensity that Yesterdays New Quintet never mustered, and they make for a pleasing, groovy chill-out listen. Also available for free download is the album's title track.