Neroli Italy Schallplatten & CDs

Review: The Abstract Eye is one half of GB aka Gifted & Blessed aka The Steoples. He has a sound that brims with analogue electronics and could be from the future or 30 years old. His emotive sounds here take us on a journey through the cosmos with 'Aura (Vuda Je)' setting the scene some gentle modulations. 'Kinda Dreamlike' is what Omar S might sound like high on DMT and the EP highlight 'Gears Not Working' rides on a rugged beat with soulful electronics and loose chords adding light and warmth. 'Back In Balance (Equilibrium)' is a final future retro gem with more magnificent synth work.

Review: The Neroli label is now onto its 51st release and the quality levels remain as high as ever thanks to these four fantastic cuts from Deenamic. 'Out Of My Mind' is scuffed up deep house with dragging kick drums and astro pads pulling in different directions to great effect. 'Sambu' brings Latin drum skips to the fore, with more swirling and celestial pad work, and it is a stunning fusion. The voodooistic 'The Bitter Truth' channels Theo Parrish in its busy arrangement and fizzing synths while last of all, 'Dayride' is a slow paced, jazz tinged workout that encourage you to sit bat and stare at the heavens.

Review: This latest edition to the Neroli catalogue sees the arrival of a new album project from long time hero, Kirk Degiorgio. Imbued with folkloric sensibilities, Robe Of Dreams is an example of the sheer transportative abilities of electronic jazz fusion, melding sounds that are almost rooted but not quite of this world. The first track, 'The Ancient City', follows a cresting wave of shimmering synths - a portal into Degiorgio's hypnagogic soundworld. 'I Saw Pharaoh Levitate' features a melody that dances, skipping with the lightest touch across a field of glittering cymbal percussion. 'Sinai' explores the roughened textures of warped electric guitar riffs, woven to create atmospheres of marbled spaciousness and density. 'Robe Of Dreams', however, is the title track for a reason - expanding and contracting piano melodies melt effortlessly into dreamy electronic atmospheres, rising and falling and veering into moments of unsettling minor keys with extraordinary precision. A masterful and spiritual project from the extraordinary musician.

Review: Yes! A brilliant induction into the Neroli annals of fame for Mr Dego and his 200 Black crew; joining the likes of Domu and Nubian Mindz in adding some classic bruk boogie perspective to Volcov's long running label. There's numerous reasons to check this triple hitting Find A Way plate, not least the title cut where Dego teams up with Akwasi and Kaidi Taiham, with the latter offering up a rare turn on vocals as opposed to manning the keys; the results are sublime and soul enriched boogie which offers a nice contrast with the deeper, rolling bump of "The Hurt". The amazing Bembe Segue turns up on "Sunshine" with Dego and crew wisely taking a step back to let her take centre stage.

Review: Broken beat innovator Dego and The 2000Black Family join forces for this latest 12" on Neroli Italy and it is a classy affair, as you would expect. 'Make The Right Move' opes in joyous fashion with gorgeously sunny synths and flesh bass over loose limed drums.The vocal harmonies are heart melting and the whole thing makes an indelible impact. After the instrumental version comes the 'The Stakeout,' a flute led and upbeat stepper with more lush Rhodes chords and a hint of MPB. Last fo all is the playfully sleazy and down low funk burner 'Jam Number Six.'

Review: Yes! Master Rogue, Domu comes back with 'Dicsotech EP II',
a dope follow-up, disco-inspired 12" on the ever-brilliant Neroli.

Review: Hot on the heels of the "Lush Culture" EP with Deetron that landed on Perpetual earlier this summer, more lush licks come from Mr Fred P aka Black Jazz Consortium. Four soul hurricanes that range in weight and emotion, the two poles here can be found slap-bang in the middle of the EP: "Moonlight" is a sultry brushed-drum break for lovers while "Riverside Drive" jacks like a rhino but soothes you with big breeze feels. Elsewhere "Reaching For The Stars" cruises on a skippy break with airy early 90s New York pads and "New Ways" closes on a stunning 88 tip. Have nice dreams y'all.

Review: Neroli is always a safe port of call for real, soulful strains of house music, but even by their own standards they've gone further out this time around. The dream team of Patrick Gibin and Kaidi Thatham backing Josh Milan on vocals was a house holy grail when 'Love To The World' dropped last year, but now that magical combination of artistry gets a shot in the arm from the one and only Theo Parrish. On the A side, the Detroit legend lays on one of his inimitable rugged beatdowns, decorated with piano flourishes and punctuated with clattering percussion that takes the track higher and farther. On the flip, the track gets stripped right back for a special acappella version which lets Milan's voice and the light-fingered piano work intertwine in a beatless reverie.

Review: Chicago's Shannon Harris goes in real deep on this latest 12" for the incorrigible Neroli imprint and as per usual, it's nuthin' but shimmering quality throughout. Harris revisits two of his classics; first on his Lucid Dream mix of "Into The Light", a jazzy, deep house number featuring the vocal talents of Brandice Manuel, and then on the Elektrix remix of Kinetic Energy, a hazy lo-fi cut which would make the perfect soundtrack to any sunrise. Bliss.

Review: Italy's classy Neroli label brings more house goodness to kick off 2021 with this new EP from Chicago's own Lee Pearson Jr . Pearson is a vocalist, DJ, producer and lyricist who has previously, on numerous occasions, worked with the likes of Larry Heard. He is in fine form here with two gorgeous pieces of lush, spiritual deep house. 'Start Today' is pure gold, with cuddly pads and far sighted chords, then the Crispy Flutestrumental gets more new age and musical, Alton Miller goes deep and the final LPJC Drums remix is a little stripped back for more direct results.

Review: Neroli's latest sees regular studio buddies Matt Lord and Kaidi Tatham serve up some typically jazz-funk-fired musical fusions full of positive pianos, life-affirming chords and colourful, thrill-a-minute synth solos. Highlights abound right across the EP, from the uplifting, summery brilliance of 'Cape Verdean Blues' and the bumpin', synth-heavy US deep house style shuffle of 'Sensitive Soul', to the classic, Bugz In The Attic style broken beat brilliance of 'Frequency Range' and the subtly soulful house warmth of 'Pickin' and Choosin'. Dreamy broken beat closing cut 'Strollin' and the aural summer breeze that is 'Find Another Way' are also superb.

Review: Italian imprint Neroli grace us with the second in a series of 12 inches prepped to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Volcov's label is known for excelling in many styles and that's aptly demonstrated here. Jus Ed's better half Jenifa Mayanja kicks off with future boogie of "Sunset" which sees her ethereal voice glide over an increasingly off kilter jazz bump. Chicago veteran Anthony Nicholson follows with relentlessly uplifting vocal assisted groove of "Communication". The real gold however is nestled on the B Side, with "So" from Mancunian Be (Prime Numbers/Wolf Music) a heaving mass of Detroit influenced brilliance which locks into a Rhodes heavy and delightfully soul flecked groove midway through. Nutmeg aka UK legend Dego rounds things off on a high with the rusted bruk step danger of "Tangent".

Review: The analogue love continues... Hot in pursuit of "All The Little Things", Detroit OG Alton Miller delivers more fresh soul. And we mean soul; "She Don't Want To Be" is an exquisite dreamy percussive house cut that sits somewhere between Faze-O and MAW. "In Spring" maintains the woozy daydream feel while shuffling up the groove into more of a party-minded affair while "Can't Get Enough" is pure, uncut Detroit house funk. Beyond authentic.

Review: Returning to his fruitful Latin Soul Brothas venture, Ricardo Miranda once again reaches across the Atlantic from Chicago to Italy to collaborate with Neroli on this sturdy and varied four tracker. "808 Signatures" instantly stands out, working around a skippy groove that features more cowbell and rimshot than anything else from the fabled drum machine, while a looping synth creates a cheeky, left of centre feel. "Voices Of The World" is a more summery, piano-led jam with a Larry Heard flavour, and "Faces Revenge" pulls everything back for a slow but sturdy DJ tool. "Mental Samurai" cools everything off with another richly melodic jaunt through floating pads and gossamer beats.

Review: A quick google search of "Blake Hall" results in links to an Essex community hall, a disused tube station and a Pokemon character from Bulbapedia. It's fun to imagine that somehow all three inspired Soul 223 aka Steve Pickton's latest Blake Hall Boogie missive on Italian imprint Neroil (a possible nod to Eno's 1993 hour long instrumental opus?). The title track seats modulating synths next to fluted bass tonks and metallics, replacing wonted Roland hi-hats. "Epiphany" is a quickened and shuffly groove with a fuzzy synth line as its centrepiece, whereas "From The Dirt" enters drowsy balearic territory via slower BPMs and off kilter sonics. The upbeat Nite Life mix to "The City Never Sleeps" caps off an EP perfect for the future boogie tip.

Review: The vital Neroli label is not only 20 this year, but it also hits release number 50. Two fine milestones for sure, and as such it is fitting they mark the occasion with an album of new material from some of the label's closest artists and best friends. It's a meaty list of talent, too, with the jazzed out stylings of K15, lush cosmic ambiance of Kirk Degiorgio and famously deep house of Patrice Scott sitting next to sun worshipping gold from Dego, meditative minimalism from Fred P and humid late night grooves from the always fascinating mind of Linkwood.