Mukatsuku Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Mukatsuku looks to the legendary Japanese downtempo producer Calm here for a new, hand-numbered 7" in the form of his 'Quiet Music Under The Moon' sampler. It features two tunes taken from his masterful new album, the first being 'Oyasumi, Ohayo' where subtle synths ripple beneath Balearic leads. It's heartbroken ambient introspection for late-night star gazing. On the flip, 'Moon Shower' is more hopeful and optimistic, with mellifluous layers of synth shimmer like the sun off the Med. It's beautiful and cathartic with Calm's majestic synth craft front and centre.

Review: Mukatsuku looks to the legendary Japanese downtempo producer Calm here for a new, hand-numbered 7" in the form of his 'Quiet Music Under The Moon' sampler. It features two tunes taken from his masterful new album, the first being 'Oyasumi, Ohayo' where subtle synths ripple beneath Balearic leads. It's heartbroken ambient introspection for late-night star gazing. On the flip, 'Moon Shower' is more hopeful and optimistic, with mellifluous layers of synth shimmer like the sun off the Med. It's beautiful and cathartic with Calm's majestic synth craft front and centre.

Review: Sample-digging beat-maker DJ Mitsu The Beats has been churning out blazed grooves and hazy, head-nodding workouts for well over 15 years. You'll find a fine example of his woozy, laidback and emotion-rich approach on the B-side of this Mukatsuku Records outing, which marks his first appearance on wax since 2016. While that track, "Pilot", is all warm Rhodes lines, toasty bass, Vibraphone flashes and crunchy MPC beats, it lets A-side "Let Go" shine - it was made in collaboration with Kaneko Takumi from Cro-Magnon and features spacey, Herbie Hancock style synthesizer lead lines stretching out over rich Fender Rhodes chords and shuffling, bossa nova-influenced beats.As played by DJ Spinna, Rob Luis (Tru Thoughts),Marc Hype,The Allergies,Kid Koala ,Nancy Noise,Smoov etc

Review: Mukatsuku is back with another of their lovingly hand-numbered 180-gram vinyl 12" pressings and cast us back to 2001. That is when the cult Japanese outfit Kyoto Jazz Massive dropped their Spirit Of The Sun album on Compost Records and now more than two decades on it has been covered by Echoes Of A New Dawn Orchestra (aka international band members for Kyoto Jazz Massive). In this particular version, five members of Echoes Of A Dawn Orchestra also happen to be part of outfit Jeroboam who record for blazing Dutch label Space Grapes. It's a funky jazz flex with seductive horns and twanging bass riffs that make for an irresistible dancer. On the backside, you can enjoy an unreleased instrumental of the original.

Review: Mukatsuku are long-time friends with Norway's Espen Horne so it makes sense they have moved to issue a couple of instrumentals following on from the quickly sold out success of a limited 7" he dropped on Wah Wah 45's in late 2023. This hand-numbered 45 features 'Bakeren' which in vocal form was a big hit with Gilles Peterson and Craig Charles amongst others. On the flip is a version of Bergen Sunrays', here renamed 'Rory's Sunrays', and featuring some great organ work from London-based musician Rory More.

Review: Housed in a Juno exclusive sleeve two tracks from Japan produced by DJ Mitsu the Beats . First up is a lush and string laden jazzy instrumental version of Vanta Black from DJ Mitsu's Sendai hip hop group GAGLE taken from the album of the same name from 2018. On the flipside we are presented with Old Town Uplift taken from the Turntable album on Jazzy Sport .Double bass focussed hipnotic jazz with poignant piano keys and strings from Otoji + Ray underscored with sounds effects from field recordings obtained in Tokushima as a concept piece for the Turntable Hostel in Shibuya. Limited to 300 hand-numbered copies and not available in Japan. As played on Worldwide FM and Jose Padilla, Shuya Okino etc

Review: Mukatsuku goes all Balearic with this limited hand-numbered 180 gram 12 inch with a collaboration with Leng.First up is the sultry, melodic & life affirming jazzy keys glory which is ''Susta'' taken from the 10 Years compilation from 2020 now given a whole side of vinyl for itself. On the flipside Payfone is in fine form on "Last Night in Sant Celoni" is where Phil Passera offers up a warm and humid chunk of soft-touch dancefloor bliss underpinned by a combination of vintage analogue drum machine, 1980s style slap bass, rich electric piano motifs, and casually brilliant jazz guitar flourishes provided by regular Payfone guitarist Royce Wood Junior. First time this instrumental version has been available on wax.As played by Ashley Beedle,Faze Action, Chari Chari, Calm, Smoove,Red Greg, Crazy P,Charlie Dark etc...

Review: Juno exclusive 45 !! The Mukatsuku label's latest release offers up two killer cuts from Los Angeles beat-maker J Dankworth, the DJ/producer behind the Dig. Find. Listen. Sample. Chop mixtapes. There are two luscious tracks to choose from, both of which were first featured on a digital-only EP back in 2017. There's the deep, drowsy, Guru/Jazzmatazz style headiness of warming A-side 'Freezer Pizza' and the jaunty, head-nodding brilliance of string-laden flip 'Nardwuar'. As supported by DJ Spinna, DJ Koco, J Rocc, Skratch Bastid, Rob Luis,The Allergies, Skeme Richards, Smoove,Marcel Vogel and more....

Review:  The latest single from Mukatsuku is from Australian DJ/Producer Katalyst who was one of the winners at Australian Dance Music Awards in 2002. 'How Bout Us' originally came out as part of the album ''What's Happening ' on Australian label Invada in 2007 before receiving a global CD only release for BBE a year later in 2008 but up till now has never been out as a single in it's own right. The track 'How Bout Us' features vocalist Steve Spacek with an exclusive unreleased instrumental version on the flipside. Killer production with massive string lines and charismatic vocals to ignite your dancefloor.As played by Coldcut,Mr Thing, Skeme Richards , Marcel Vogel,The Herbaliser,DJ Prestige, Boca 45, Smoov,Andre One Of A Kind, DJ Gilla (First Word Records) , Huw72, Dom Servini (Wah Wah 45's), Ben Gibson,etc

Review: For the fourth volume in Mukatsuku's ongoing Jazz Classics series, label boss Nik Weston has decided to reissue two lesser-known gems from the nu-jazz era. On side A you'll find Kirk Degiorgio in As One mode, laying down a sublime chunk of sultry jazz bliss that comes laden with virtuoso horn playing and some superb keys-work from then session player Jamie Odell (AKA Jimpster). It was recorded almost 20 years ago, but sounds timeless. Equally as impressive is Butti 49's "Spiritual Radiations", a bright-and-breezy, soul-flecked chunk of jazz positivity that sounds like Rotary Connection jamming with Kyoto Jazz Massive.Juno copies come with an exclusive hand-numbered obi strip not available at other stores plus branded sleeve & sticker.DJ support so far from Spiritland,Faze Action,Nicola Conte, Kalita Records Chris,Nick Emanative,Simon S,Steven Tang and Kay Suzuki

Review: Long-serving Japanese nu-jazz collective Kyoto Jazz Massive is back in focus again after a cool outing featuring Roy Ayers back in February. This time they're on Mukatsuku with this limited edition and hand numbered 7" featuring a pair of new edits of their 'Get It Together' tune Featuring Vanessa Freeman. The first is from Yoshi and is a glorious bit of big disco energy with diva vocals and sumptuous chord stabs. The second is an instrumental with backing vocals which then gets edited by Robin Lee & Nik Weston into something a little more free, loose and cosmic.

Review: Mukatsuku label labels latest release showcases some typically funky workouts from Black Milk Music regular LTF AKA Light The Fuse, a Siberia-based beat-maker known for the deepness of his samples and the dopeness of his productions. Both these tracks lifted from Rucksack Records Monolith long player and here features on A-side 'King of Funk' is a bombastic tribute to James Brown that peppers a weighty, bass-heavy boom-bap beat with sharp, effects-laden horns and razor-sharp guitar licks. It sounds a little like a long lost late 80s NYC hip-hop club instrumental, which is no bad thing. B-side 'Give Them Some Horns' is deeper, hazier and jazzier, with dusty sax and trumpet samples riding layered percussion and a typically head-nodding beat. As played by DJ Koco ,Bobbito & The Allergies

Review: Mukatsuku has got another little treasure on its hands here with a tune from MBE and UK Soul legend Omar. It dates back to 2004 and has never been on 7" before having become something of a classic after original release on 12". Dons like Gilles Peterson and IG Culture were early supporters of the driving, peak time broken beat sound and the tune was often a highpoint of Omar's live sets. It has never been released as an instrumental either - until now. Both tunes now together on one 45 make for an essential cop for soul fans and, as always, there is strictly no repress on this one so move fast.

Review: Presto (Names You Can Trust, Plug Research) highlights two tracks from his unreleased album 'Basement Beats', which was recorded in 2020 while he lived in New York and is designed to give listeners a view into his daily commute in pre-pandemic NYC from early 5am walks to Union Square to his daily E Train trip. . 'Official' boasts a gritty drum loop that acts as a bed for a sublimely melodic sample (the soulful synth melody on the chorus is vin fact played by his daughter). Flip it over for 'Floating', where Presto plays the wah-infused Rhodes piano along with Avatar on the bass guitar, giving a nod to their previous live fusion group Wayward Saints. A dose of the old school as it travels into the future.

Review: Presto drops this 7" as a teaser from his Basement Beats album which was recorded in 2020 while he lived in New York. The idea was to offer a window into his daily commute from early 5am walks to Union Square to his daily E Train trip. Opener 'Official' boasts a gritty drum loop that acts as a bed for a sublimely melodic sample and 'Floating' has a dose of the old school as it travels into the future. As always with Mukatsuku releases, this one is another carefully curated project that includes a hand-numbered 7" in gold ink with a hand-stamped inner sleeve and a nice wooden keyring.

Review: Presto (who you might recognise from Names You Can Trust and Plug Research) is in the spotlight again, not long after Mukatsuku dropped two highlights from his unreleased album Basement Beats, which was recorded in 2020 while he lived in New York. The 7" collects two more essential tracks that first surfaced in 2002 on Concrete Grooves and sticks the excellently jazzy hip-hop instruments on a limited edition 7". 'Trip To Brazil' is as sweet as sugar with heat damaged chords and excellent jazzy melodies over a lazy beat. 'Pianoscape' is a more traditional hip hop sound with some dusty piano keys and nice vocal stabs that keep it deep.

Review: Small repress of the Modern Sun Records founder and experienced jazz-wise producer Marc Friedli AKA Skymark. A-side "Flying Fantasy" originally appeared on the Spanish producer's 2016 album "Resistance Sonore", but is here featured in instrumental form for the first time. If anything, it's better than the original version, largely because we get to revel in Friedli's mazy Fender Rhodes solos, rubbery jazz-funk synth bass and loose-limbed, West London style broken beats. You'll find plenty more jaunty jazz-funk vibes and liquid electric piano solos on B-side cut "Rhodes E Serenidade", which first slipped out way back in 2015. DJ Support so far from Dom Servini, Emanative,Red Greg,Kevin Beadle, Mike Chadwick,Dynamite Cuts & Rocafort Records so far

Review: Two Sides Of Club Jazz does exactly what it says on the tin.Two club fillers from Italy & Japan. First up it's Italian musician Marco di Marco seminal jazz classic as championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson -'Par Avion'' never before released as a 7 inch flipped by Japanese Nu Jazz outfit Jazz Collective with an exclusive jazz/broken masterpiece called 'Velvet'.Limited Juno exclusive packaging and extras .The Juno edition of the single comes in exclusive packaging of kraft paper hand stamped inner sleeve,additional branded card sleeve,signed insert,sticker,and plastic protective outer sleeve

Review: New soulful project from Guynamite & Analog Jones under the Twin Cities personna. Limited edition of 300 copies only. No Re press.Raincloud features Shea Soul which has already recieved four radio plays from Ronnie Herel on BBC 1 Xtra plus support from Rainer Truby,Kevin Beadle,Ennio Styles,Lefto,Rob Luis,Dom Servini and many more !

Review: Two more slices of official dance floor dynamite from the Disco Fuentes catalogue get unleashed on the strictly vinyl only, singles only Mukatsuku Record label for summer 2013. First up is an unreleased version of the popular Wganda Kenya club favourite 'Tipit Hayed' which Blundetto had done a few years ago for his own DJ sets but never surfaced commercially. On the flipside a bona fide salsa funk monster which a piano intro to die for from Fruko Y Sus Tesos. The Juno edition of the single comes in exclusive packaging of kraft paper hand stamped inner sleeve,additional branded card sleeve,sticker and plastic protective outer sleeve. As played by Joey Negro, Sadar Bahar,Ashley Beedle, Adesse Versions,Eddie C etc etc...