Review: Bedroom beat producer Blank Check has teamed up with Honolulu's Aloha Got Soul and Tokyo's Grand Gallery for this majestic new six-song EP which comes on tidy 10" vinyl. It's mega limited with only 300 copies produced and it showcases loop-based music that evokes a floating sensation, which is reminiscent, say the accompanying notes, of Tommy Guerrero's world view. The instrumental sound features a dub-like quality that perfectly captures an urban mellow vibe that feels both original and authentic. Essentially it serves as a soundtrack to a short film that immerses you in atmospheric and cinematic soundscapes.
Bembe Segue - "Mother Of The Future" (live version)
Review: Serious jazz dance fusion from 1974, Norman Connors' cover of Carlos Garnett's "Mother Of The Future" drives with shamanistic fury before the firing keys, heaving horns and deep soul vocals fly into the mix. For a more contemporary jazz take, flip for Bembe Segue's emphatic live version. Lavished with her distinctively rich vocals and stern spoken word and complete with wild bass runs and a thick bed of percussion, it's an instant show-stopper. Two incredible covers, one special 10".
Don't Play Around (feat Aloe Blacc & Charles Bradley - main)
Don't Play Around (instrumental mix)
Tough Break
Don't Play Around (acappella)
Review: Nu Mark's been teasing his fans since May, releasing selected cuts from his new album Broken Sunlight in coloured vinyl 10" instalments. With the attention reaching fever pitch, he's unleashed one of the biggest cuts on the LP. Hooking up with the dollar-hungry Aloe Blacc, it's a horn-heaving slice of hip-hop funk that pushes all the right buttons. "Tough Break" is a double-time deal sealer. With more horns and a frenetic rhythm, it's Nu Mark at his very best. Essential.
Review: Renowned reeds player, composer, and producer Finn Peters unveils his latest offering Red, Green and Blue and it is a vibrant fusion of global influences condensed into three potent tracks of what Peters dubs 'ancient techno'. This solo endeavour continues Peters' sonic exploration and expands upon the palette he began with his Purple and Yellow EP nearly a decade ago. MPC3000 and SP12 percussion intertwines with cosmic flute choirs and transcendent saxophone, guided by analogue synths that bridge eras past and future. Inspired by dreams of the Miraculous Mandarin, an immortal mystic from the future, Peters crafts musical resonance here, awash with alchemy and timelessness.
Review: On paper, combining Coltrane jazz classic 'A Love Supreme' and Bob Marley's 'Exodus' in a Cuban jazz style seems like an odd idea, but as Joe Clausell and pianist Matt Jenson proved on their 2013 album as Rebel Tumbao, it's actually a genius one. For proof, check out the original mix, which is tucked away on the flipside of this belated remix EP. The real star attraction though is Ron Trent's A-side remix, which brilliantly re-images the track as a skanking chunk of slow-motion dub house complete with echoing vocal snippets, reverb-laden pianos and plenty of Latin and African style hand percussion. Eqwel's accompanying 'Dub Bass Mix', a more glitchy, electronic affair, is also well worth a listen.
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