AfroQbano - "El Bucanero" (feat Kevin Ford - Dez Andres remix) (4:40)
Review: Chicago label Future Rootz is a collective of mix media DJs who all play and rework global roots, tropical bass, world electronic and Latin house. Who better to do that than Detroit's Dez Andres, a deep-diving DJ, house head and producer with Cuban roots. He goes first here with 'El Trombone', which has a signature low-end thump with sunny Latin vocals, joyous horns and florid melodies. He then slows things down with one of his trademark remixes of AfroQbano's 'El Bucanero', which has noodling bass and poolside charm.
Review: Montreal producer and keyboard maestro Anomalie offers a full-MOT servicing of funk-jazz on 'Velours', a choice track that presaged his 2018 EP 'Metropole'. Born of a chilled bedroom jam, the first iteration of this track was uploaded to YouTube in 2017, and utilised stacks of Yamaha pianos as well as sleek, sexily designed sample pads. Anomalie provides a rich, honeyed set of chordophonal can-cans over nothing but a swung backbeat, bringing seemingly boundless phonic fruition from little nutrient. Now the song hears a full reproduction and repackaging in vinyl form via Devins 7s.
Review: The talented Joe Armon-Jones has been at the centre of some of London's most exciting musical developments in the jazz world in recent years, not least as co-founder of the mighty Ezra Collective. He is a prolific creator, keyboardist, singer and producer who draws on dub, pop, hip-hop and electronica to foment his own style and once again that shines through with this, the first part of his new album on his own Aquarii Records. It is full of standouts like the Afro-leaning drums and summery melodies of 'Kingfisher (feat. Asheber)' with life-affirming lyrics. 'Show Me' has a darker downtempo energy with crashing hits and drums and 'Hurry Up & Wait' ends on a tender note with introspective keys and feathery drums.
Review: A timely revisit to two of the stand out covers on Italian jazz/lounge posterboy Andrea Balducci's 2012 album Bloom. "Spooky" is a soft, sweet and succinctly measured take on Shapiro and Middlebrooks' mid 60s standard while "Hurts So Bad" is a respectful twist on Weinstein, Harshman and Randazzo's similar era classic that was made famous by Linda Ronstadt years later.
Review: Polish experimentalists Bloto consider themselves indebted to the hip-hop and trip hop of the 90s, particularly the atmospheric cuts that stuck out of the ends of otherwise harder-hitting records. Staying true to the work ethic of the titans that preceded them, the band laid down three full-length records in 2020 before then jetting off on tour; only now in 2024 does Grzybnia follow as its the fourth prong on what was originally thought to be a trident. 'Grzybnia' is the Polish word for mycelium; this record is just as decidedly decompository in sound, its ad-hoc use of electronic and live drumming - wherever each might be needed best - sounding like the sinewy, by-any-means-necessary action of a fungal hypha, rootling deep into soils to unearth what might still lie dormant there. The live jazz, trip-hop and hip-hop admixture here is a real Frankenstein, 'Shiitake' standing out amongst the chitinous caps; Bloto consider it a response to an "unstable modern world that is breaking apart into pieces", and in which mycelium offers a powerful model of the potential resilience of life despite it.
Review: The legendary UK acid-jazz innovators Brand New Heavies dropped many a classic sounds and none more so than their iconic album 'Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1. More than three decades after first release it remains an influential work that blends UK club jazz with US hip-hop. Featuring collaborations with artists like Main Source, The Pharcyde, Gang Starr, and Black Sheep, the album marked a groundbreaking fusion of genres back in its heyday and now two standout tracks from the album, 'Soul Flower' featuring The Pharcyde and 'It's Gettin' Hectic' featuring Gang Starr make their way to 7" for the first time and sounds as good as ever.
Review: Echo Chamber Recordings celebrates its first anniversary this month with a new release in the Boogaloo Lessons Series. This latest instalment comes in special hand-numbered orange vinyl 7" limited to 150 copies and features Cheeba's Latin Bros, who deliver exceptional boogaloo tracks as per usual. The A-side, 'One Step Beyond,' boasts infectious rhythms, powerful drum beats and dynamic fills. On the B-side, 'Set Your Soul Free' combines the energetic boogaloo vibe with a touch of soulful tenderness, featuring vibrant percussion and captivating, offbeat chords. This release promises to keep the dance floor moving and showcases the rich, rhythmic textures of the boogaloo sound.
Review: Some 20 years on from the acclaimed Nicola Conte presents Rosalia De Souza album Garota Moderna, it now gets a full reissue across double vinyl on Schema out of Italy. It is a high class debut record that has more than stood the test of time and has always been of great interest to fans of artists like Patricia Marx and Bebel Gilberto. The singer's sunny vocals soar over the lush Brazilian rhythms with samba, bossa, broken beat and new jazz all thrown down and blended together. Instrumentals are rich and authentic and take you to a beach, sipping a cocktail under a beaming sun.
Nigeria (Tall Black Guy Boogie Love remix - feat Broken Keys) (4:05)
Nigeria (Tall Black Guy Boogie Love remix - instrumental version) (4:05)
African Spirits (Andres extended remix) (5:33)
Review: Nicola Conte is one of the central figures in the Schema story, and his nu jazz and broken beat partnership with Gianluca Petrella has yielded some golden music in recent years. Nigeria originally came out in 2018, and then last year popped up on the duo's People Need People LP, but now it's getting a proper remix treatment which sees Tall Black Guy twisting the track out as a heady disco house roller for sundown moments when you need a little jazzy flair in the proceedings. That version comes in vocal and instrumental versions, and then the mighty Andres steps up for one of his simmering groove escapades as he delivers an extended remix of 'African Spirits'.
Review: Hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, Contour brings a fresh flow to black soul music which finds a natural home on leading London label Touching Bass. Khari Lucas, to use his given name, uses the 12 tracks on Onwards! To reflect on the nature of black art past, present and future. His tools of expression are a mesmerising voice, smoky beat production and compelling lyricism, folded up into an album which ranks alongside some of the best of recent times. We're in a prime era for progressive soul, whether it's Liv.e or Sudan Archives we're tuning into and Contour is helping push things forwards in his own deeply felt way.
Review: Amon Tobin's debut album under the Cujo alias is a sprawling, complex work that spans 21 tracks and blurs the lines between multiple genres. First released in the mid-90s, it introduced a unique blend of live instruments and innovative sampling that would go on to shape Tobin's entire career. This is first time all the tracks have been compiled together, providing a complete version of the album that had previously been scattered across different editions. From the moody, atmospheric 'Cat People' to the intricate jazz influences in 'The Brazilianaire', the album captures Tobin's knack for combining breakbeats with more experimental sounds. There's an almost cinematic quality to the compositions, with moments of ambient calm giving way to punchy, layered rhythms. The sheer variety of ideas packed into the album is remarkable, from the driving percussion of 'Traffic' to the rich, textural complexity of 'Cruzer.' Even now, nearly 30 years on, the album still feels fresh and ahead of its time, illustrating Tobin's pioneering approach to electronic music. This reissue is a fitting reminder of the innovative work that laid the foundation for a remarkable career.
Review: EABS' forthcoming album, Reflections of Purple Sun, marks a significant return to their roots while paying homage to the iconic figure of Polish jazz, Tomasz Stanko. Stanko's album, Purple Sun, recorded fifty years ago, heavily emphasized rhythm, serving as the central element of his work. EABS' interpretation of this landmark album is a profound study in rhythm, aptly reflected in the title. Recorded in Stanko's former residence in Warsaw, where his presence still lingers palpably, the album captures the essence of his musical legacy. The band's meticulous attention to detail is evident, from Marek Pedziwiatr's use of Stanko's piano to Jakub Kurek's selection of Stanko's last trumpet, the Monette XLT+. This instrument, chosen for its lively and spacious sound, perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Stanko's artistic vision. Astigmatic Records' comprehensive booklet accompanying the record provides further insight into the album's creation, while the cover art pays homage to Pia Burri's original concept. Overall, Reflections of Purple Sun is a compelling and evocative journey through the rhythmic landscapes of Polish jazz, honoring Stanko's legacy while forging new paths in musical exploration.
Review: Five years on from their debut collaborative EP 'Frisina Meets Toco', modern Brasilian dance artists Gerardo Frisina and Toco return for a second faceoff, this time with liaising artist Luzia Dvorek serving as ringmaster. Centring on samba-infused jazz and deep house with mystical and folk influences, "deixa passar" translates from Portuguese to "let it pass", though the mood is certainly not outright passive. This delectably quartered slice of carnivalesque dance music is rather rich in sonic papaya juice, charting sustained vocal contrasts between Toco and Luzia against smoky and furnaced beats. Aperient track 'Deixa Passar' leans heaviest on languid piano, whilst dozier mists emerge on the B-side in the form of 'Ile' and its rework by Gerardo Frisina, bringing pan flutes, strings, breathy vocal counterpoints, cabasa shaker, and subtle bass undercurrents.
Review: Massimo Napoli is Galathea and he is still riding high off the success of his second album Sacred Love. Now he backs up the quality of that one with this new EP on Space Echo which features four unreleased tracks. 'Ancestral' and 'Karimabao' on the A-side feature hypnotic atmospheres and blend African rhythms with tribal percussion and sleek pads to make for a rather addictive fusion for sophisticated dancefloors. 'Africa Carnival' then offers an Afrobeat groove infused with Brazilian spirit and plenty of jazz, and funk all added to by Mario Pappalardo's masterful keyboard work. The EP closes with 'Sacred Club,' a track which mixes up African mysticism with a danceable, clap-driven rhythm that is perfect for a more subdued yet entrancing dancefloor experience.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Abandon (3:55)
Naked To The Light (4:14)
Late Night Drive (4:43)
Sick Eros (4:07)
Belleville (2:21)
Sweat, Tears Or The Sea (2:42)
Atlas (6:45)
Reading The Air (5:30)
You Burn Me (1:12)
Earthbound (4:08)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
The fourth ever solo studio album from the acclaimed electronic artist and composer Laurel Halo, Atlas is intended to guide the listener through their own subconscious mind, coming as an intense sequence of soaring ambiences and beatless jazz montages. Finding its footing in instrumental improvisation by Halo herself, plus featuring artists Coby Sey, James Underwood and Lucy Railton - and then blowing any assumptive connotation with jazz out of the park with its subtly effected vocal processing and electronic tinkerings and washes thereafter - fans can be sure that this is not going to be your stock experimental affair.
Make Me Crazy (Potatohead People remix - instrumental) (2:57)
Review: A Moodymann remix is a mad rare thing. The singular Detroit producer very rarely steps out to tackle other people's music but when he does the world takes note. This time he sets to work on 2022's 'Hold On To It' by Colonel Red and Inkswel. In his hands, it becomes a distinctively low sling bit of sleazy deep house with punctured drums, off-grid pianos and his own vocal mutterings. Potatohead People offer a more lush and soulful downbeat vibe, while a Moodorama Weird Mistake is perfect for late-night back rooms and the Moodorama Deep Rise mix is all bubbly bass and melodies that provide real musical comfort.
Review: Established in the UK in 2009 as master-builders of disco-house builds in the late naughty noughties, Instruments Of Rapture first cut the red tape with Ilija Rudman's 'Part Four' and lasted for just three years until 2012. And while the early axing was a shame, we think real works of art are those which are short-lived but profuse in quality. Now kicking back into gear after almost 15 years, the label now return to double up as both label and moniker, humorously titled 'You're Cured Mate'. Described as a "soundtrack more hypnotic and deadly than ever", this new one follows 'The Formula' of cut-short, hypno-loop lyrics and carnal felid whispers (especially in '7 Grams Of Funk'), marking an EPs' worth of subtle libertinage in 2025, the year of the snake.
Review: The Invisible Sessions new album Echoes of Africa is the first on the newly launched Space Echo label out of Italy and is richly rooted in black music. It's been 15 years since a breakout release put this group on the map and now trombonist and multi-instrumentalist Gianluca Petrella and poet, rapper and MC Martin Thomas Paavilainen (aka Benjamin "Bentality" Paavilainen) link once more to great effect as they use jazz as a vehicle to convey their messages of cultural synergy, unity and love. Afro-beat and Ethio-jazz, funk, psychedelia, and modal music all colour the most compelling grooves.
Saturday Night Special (Kai Alce NDATL remix - extended version) (7:22)
Saturday Night Special (DJ Amir & Redecay remix) (5:05)
The Lyman Woodard Organization - "Saturday Night Special" (7:05)
Review: Last year BBE released the latest project from nu jazz titans Jazzanova. Strata Records (The Sound Of Detroit Reimagined By Jazzanova) was an ambitious project which took the formidable troupe into new territory while doing great credit to the hugely important original works. Now we're being treated to a single pulled from the album with some additional remixes of 'Saturday Night Special'. The first of these comes from DJ Amir, who also served as executive producer on the album project, working alongside Re.decay, and on the flip you can hear Atlanta legend Kai Alce doing his thing with that high grade house sound that just gets better and better as the years go by.
Review: Sudden Records debut Les Hommes' latest LP Si Cosi, describing the record as a set of "pulsar-driven groovetronics, folky modalisms in waltz time; dreamvitations to the cine-lounge." The three piece combo known as The Men have been an active force on the easygoing London underground, having first made their debut in a tiny club in Soho in 1994. They've since occupied the proscenium of lounge and club, relaxedly dropping three LPs and four EPs since then. This fourth LP brings the latest face of lounge music to the fore, with a set of eleven more careful but languorous compositions. Deploying instrumentation from Lowrey organ to bass clarinet to electric piano, the sensibility throughout is one of disbarred ease, best felt on the most muted among the cuts, such as the cricket-chirping modal jazzer 'Veronique'.
Review: An homage to the golden era of soul-jazz, and recorded live to two inch analogue tape at All Things Analogue Studios in Leeds, Doo Ha! sizzles with an electric soul undercurrent - perfect nourishment for the meditative but motivated dancefloor. Flaunting flautist Chip Wickham front and centre, it's the perfect complement for a lazy Sunday afternoon listen, whence groove and grit need not succumb to nostalgia. Inspired by jazz greats like Ramsey Lewis and Les McCann, the album's soul-stirring rhythms are driven by ATA's Sam Hobbs (drums) and Neil Innes (bass), plus contributions from Sam Bell, John Ellis, and Wickham on flute. The seven tracks range from the down-home swagger of 'Walk On' to the cinematic vibes of 'The Saint And The Stranger,' celebrating the totemic spirit of soul-jazz in the North of England.
Review: Tapping vocalist Latrell James on Bostonian vox duties, Live A Little dishes out a deep 12" and promises to deliver it straight to our doors, not unlike pizza delivery. Across a woodfired record, we're assured we've "got it good", with an initial "get it, get it, good" sample rounding out a ferrety lead beat, as "cribs" and "crooks" are further concept-checked by James. Caserta flips the A with a melodious meander on the B-side, lifting the record from its opening certis of loose-slung 4x4s and haggard textures for a reversion that brightens, smoothens and softens everything out, as if to say, "chop-chop!".
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
The genre-defining deep house label Kaoz Theory headed up by the one and only Kerri Chandler has a real doozy on its hands here with the talented Devon Miles bring his Afro soul and acoustic guitar skills to a pair of new singles. 'Beautifull' appears twice on the A-side, one as a vocal mix by Kerri with skipping Afro house rhythms and gorgeous melodies next to jazzy horns, and another as an instrumental. The same tune comes three more times on the flip with Opolopo remixing and adding some extra weight for the club. The more meandering original is the one brave DJs go for despite its lack of rooted groove.
I Don't Remember The Last Time I Saw Stars (11:11)
Review: Following their acclaimed debut album Sugar Honey Iced Tea!, NYC duo Musclecars aka Craig Handfield and Brandon Weems are back with a double pack of alternate versions and remixes featuring house legends Louie Vega and Maurice Fulton. Vega reworks 'Tonight' with orchestral flair and festival-ready dub versions including the NV South Jersey Mix and his Bronx Dub. Maurice Fulton's remix of 'Hello?' blends his signature live bass and punchy percussion to add a whimsical touch to the introspective original. The pack also includes stripped-down versions of 'Ha Ya! (Eternal Life)' and 'Water' plus a full side of Musclecars' 'I Don't Remember The Last Time I Saw Stars.'
Blessing It (feat Pase Rock & Substantial - remix)
Horn In The Middle
Lady Brown (feat Cise Star)
Kumomi
Highs 2 Lows (feat Cise Star)
Beat Laments The World
Letter From Yokosuka
Think Different (feat Substantial)
A Day By Atmosphere Supreme
Next View
Latitude (feat Five Deez - remix)
FILO (feat Shing02)
Summer Gypsy
The Final View
Peaceland
Review: Hydeout Productions turn their attention once more to the ever-influential lo-fi hip-hop pioneer Nujabes (Jun Seba). Seba's simple formula for cooking up stirring beats - sampler-driven loops, piano overlays, and reverberative flows from guest rappers over and above - has proven timeless so far. His debut LP Metaphorical Music evinces the artist's mastery from the jump, with no letup on quality and handicraft thereafter. Through these serene beats, with enduring features from English-speaking compatriots Cise Starr, Shing02 and Substantial guesting, we're left to wonder what exactly the titular conceit is. Research hardly does the trick: despite the name, these are free-floating, proto-cloud rap sonic phosphenes, not overt concepts. The vibe of relaxation is present throughout, and Nujabes' emphasis on the instrumental despite the rap features are also evident, with floaty beat-centric breakdowns and abrupt easings of flow, present throughout.
Children Of Zu Zu (feat Roberto Di Gioia & People Of Tala'aga & Samoa) (7:00)
Schmetterlinge Im Bauch (feat Roberto Di Gioia) (7:41)
Love In Space (feat Jana - part 1) (1:55)
Zu Zu Music (feat Mickey Neher & AdaSoul & Narjara Thamiz) (7:55)
Myth Versus Reality (feat Sun Ra & June Tyson) (5:54)
Love In Space (feat Harald Popp & Lu - part 2) (3:29)
Review: Now we're talking. At the time of writing - mid-spring 2025 - Britain has been basking in the warmest March and April since the first Covid-19 lockdown, but dark skies and a cold lack of humanity are prevailing emotions. Far right, fascism, the death of creativity and the onslaught of automation are enough to leave anyone feeling like they've been locked out of the sunshine and have to fend for themselves against a torrent of chilling realities. But not all heroes wear capes. Some are just called Charles Petersohn, and they make sun-soaked, soul-inspiring, warm jazz-inflected deep house that feels born in a more natural period of Earthly evolution. In fact, it was born after time spent in South Africa, one of the global epicentres of this genre, where the producer was involved in an NGO charity project. Immediately catchy, resolutely life-affirming, and probably the grooviest thing we've had all month.
Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***
The new album by Quantic - aka. multi instrumentalist, DJ, composer and producer Will Holland - is in many ways an evolution. Now twenty years into his career, Dancing While Falling is the British-born, New York-based artist's most live sounding, euphoric and, in his own words, grown-up release to date. Capturing the beginnings of every good person's revelatory movement from an individual to a collective spirit, Holland originally began the album in his Brooklyn studio, before realising that he didn't just want to make a record that reflected his 'singular pandemic wormhole', but rather one that tapped into the essential togetherness of the human condition. So too does this record explore themes of connection felt through, and made more intense by, the antagonistic bouts of loneliness that characterised COVID-19. Influenced by legendary artists in the scene like Bohannon and Larry Levan, Quantic wanted to make a disco -eaning album at first; "I'm really interested in Latin music and Afro Caribbean rhythms and I think there's a really amazing point in history where the emergence of those rhythms and its combination with American soul sparked what we now know as disco," he says. This PIAS extended edition comes one year on from its initial 2023 release, Quantic here expands on his work by adding a ream of extended versions.
Review: Label regulars Roberta and Trilaterals are back on Worldship Music to take part in the latest Herald Tarccs instalment. Reelsoul is a new name to join the fun and pens up with 'La Costa' which is a throwback disco house sound with wild melodies and big horn leads vying for attention and getting hands skyward. Trilaterals bring plenty of percussive funk and jumbled drum brilliance to 'Flo Jo' and Teflon Dons taps into a Philly sound with the string loops of 'DONTWANTU2GO.' Roberta's "Hang Back' is a classy little jazz-house number.
Review: With a career stretching back to the turn of the '90s, Stefano 'S-Tone' Sirone has long been one of Italy's foremost purveyors of jazz-fired goodness. Last year he returned to action with "Onda", a brilliant set of jazz-funk, disco, samba and deep house fusion that also marked his first album-length excursion for four years. This nifty seven-inch offers up two new interpretations of one of that collection's standout tracks, "Luz Da Joaca", by fellow Italian nu-jazz veteran Gerardo Frisina. On the A-side, he turns it into a Clavinet-sporting chunk of samba-house fusion rich in layered percussion and '70s style Brazilian jazz-funk vocals. The flipside dub, an altogether heavier and more percussively intense affair, is arguably even better.
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