Berlin based DJ DJ DANIEL W. BEST is with his booking agency Best Works a long running companion of JAZZANOVA and the Sonar Kollektiv. Indeed its as a booker that BEST has the best connections – together with DIXON he is the co-organizer of the legendary „Innercity“ in Berlin's Weekend, which draws crowds from all over Europe. Another DANIEL W BEST event is the JAZZANOVA club night „Kaleidoskop“ (for which the cream of international DJs such as GILLES PETERSON, KING BRITT, PETER KRUDER, RICHARD DORFMEISTER, CARL CRAIG etc have all been invited), as does the now well established „Apollo Soul Festival“ at the Appolo Saal of the Berlin Staatsoper, und last but not least a regular reggae club night.

Beside Best Works BEST runs the small, but remarkably fine label Best Seven, which since 1999 has concerned itself with the interface between soul and reggae, and in so doing has naturally integrated facets such as Dub and Downbeat equally into the flexible sound.

Over the years Best Seven has released a string of musical pearls (predominantly on vinyl). Some of the best tracks include underground hits like Midnight Marauders by JOE DUKIE and DJ FITCHIE (behind which is none other than DALLAS TAMAIRA and CHRIS FAIMUMU - singer and producer of New Zealand reggae superstars FAT FREDDYS DROP) as well as productions by such esteemed artists as PAUL ST. HILAIRE aka TIKIMAN, LIGHTNING HEAD, KABUKI, RAS, EVA BE as well as CHAKA DOMU aka DOMINIC STANTON aka DOMU aka UMOD. And on the last Best Seven release „Mash Up“ LADY YOLANDA sings, who can also be heard on the recent BUGZ IN THE ATTIC album.

In autumn 2003 the Best Seven Selections (SBCD0005) finally came out; a compilation made up of the nicest tracks from the Best Seven catalogue including exclusive tracks. The compilation quickly won the hearts and minds of many listeners. Amazing that only now, three years later a follow up Volume 2 is coming, after the success of the 2003 compilation. And this time again some beautiful Soulreggae tunes are in the center of the happening – mainly from artists out of the Best Seven crew or even personal friends of label boss DANIEL W. BEST.

One of the highlights in the groove track Take It Slow from Nürnbergs downbeat heroes BOOZOO BAYOU (with the incomparable JOE DUKIE from FAT FREDDYS DROP on the microphone), the dubby No Memory Of Time by EVA BE (in a „Reggae Version“, also with vocals by JOE DUKIE), or The Answer by THE BLACK SEEDS, which with its addictive mantra „Don’t be so cold...!“ certainly provides the compilations lyrical highlight. Besides FAT FREDDY’S DROP, THE BLACK SEEDS also count as superstars of the New Zealand reggae scene – an EP with four titles from their third album Into The Dojo will also come out on Best Seven (SB7018).

Another highlight of the compilation is a brand new and exclusive track by EXTENDED SPIRIT (STEFAN LEISERING and AXEL REINEMER, 1/3 of JAZZANOVA). Their track Sista Riddim features the FAT FREDDYS HORNS and will only appear on the finished version of this compilation.
Further contributions come from, among others, MELASSE, CAT RAT) or DJOSOS KROST.

So DANIEL W. BEST has once again managed to put together a most wholesome collection which perhaps even surpasses the previous compilation in terms of intensity. It only remains to hope that we don't have to wait another 3 year for Vol. 3...

The EP will feature 4 tracks, the contributions of DUTCH RIDDIM COMBO, MASA COLLECTIVE FEAT. NOEL MCKOY, CATRAT AND TAFFARI’S Water On Glass, taken from the first Best Seven Selection