Review: Masterminded by Jeff Dynamite Silverman, 10th Street is an all-star studio band comprised of some of NYC's best disco, funk and soul musicians of the last two decades (including members of Antibalas, the Dap-Kings, The Expressions and El Michels Affair). The collective's self-titled debut album, which dropped earlier this year, is a genuine must-listen and offers a near perfect distillation of disco, soul and funk flavours of the 1970s. This 7" single sports two of that set's standout cuts: hazy, mid-tempo, laidback disco-funk number 'Livin' In New York City', where Blaxploitation guitar licks, spacey synths, sustained organ chords and eyes-closed female vocals catch the ear, and the weightier, more percussive and undeniably dancefloor-friendly instrumental 'Moodie's Basement'. In a word: essential!
Review: Given the infrequency of their releases these days, any new 12" from Dego, Akwasi Mensah and Kaidi Tatham's 2000 Black project is cause for celebration. "Make It Hard", their first collaborative missive of note since 2008's A Next Set of Rockers on Third Ear, is predictably. The title track itself is killer; a classic, dancefloor-friendly broken beat roller complete with dense, Latin-tinged percussion and loads of brilliant synth touches from Tatham. It's the kind of record that would be been massive at the turn of the millennium. Even now, it should be. The B-sides are pretty tasty too, with some jazzier, deeper bruk in the shape of "Counter Attack", and a dash of sensual, Herbie Hancock does deep house niceness ("Steady Jam").
Review: Tathan, Mensah and Dego get brow deep in bruk science once again with three supreme grooves. "Sunday Avuncular" is a rampant fire that's sparked with minimal elements but suddenly whips up into a full uptempo storm. "Bauxite, Gypsum & Limestone" is the smooth talker of the set with its soulful boogie tones and a momentum that gets more and more direct as the track develops. Finally "Mononymous Persons" concludes this special 12" with a staccato beat and groove so wet 2000 Black should consider selling special branded towels. Exceptional.
Review: The band 2000 Black, who include 4Hero icon Dego among their number, are masters of the broken beat scene, leaders amongst men who whether working alone or with others are always in top form. This two track outing kicks off with 'Soursop & Mango', a bristling, bustling mix of raw drums and bursts of cosmic synth energy that radiates soul, all with neat guitar riffs stitched into the mix. 'Straight Forward Side Steps' is a dusty jam with lovely scruffy claps and much more well defined synth lines adding colour and soul.
Review: Premium jazzdance from London's 2000Black in collaboration with soulful vocalist Samii; 'Circus Retreat' and its instrumental version both aim squarely for the rond-point of the big smoke's essence, channelling a sense of respite and sense-making of the anxieties of now, the "continuous confusion that surrounds us today". The lyrics affirm the unfairness of modern urban experience with a joyois irony, with lyrics like "it's not fair" and "I can't feel my feet" gliding spiritedly above a sparky broken beat peppered with sunny soul-jazz ornaments. Then, on the B, there's 'London Boogie', which swaps out the swatches to reflect more of a purple tinge by way of rhythmic Rhodeses and cutoff-filtered stabs; and 'Shrug!!', more of a chiptuney retreat into digital dance-space.
Habbanera (Leo Mas & Fabrice alternate remix) (6:41)
Review: Over the years, Italian eccentrics 291out have proved tricky to pin down. While their releases are rooted in the spacey end of the jazz-funk spectrum, they also touch on film soundtracks, quirky electronica and meandering progressive rock. This time out they're operating on a Latin tinged jazz-rock tip, with crunchy guitars, fuzz-soaked horns, rubbery bass and eyes-closed electric piano motifs rising above a head-nodding groove. The band's included "Alternative Version" is noticeably wilder and more intense, with a looser beat and a greater number of mind-mangling horn solos. In terms of remixes, you'll find Italian veterans Leo Mas and Fabrice at the controls. Their A-side revision sounds a little like a jazzier take on Italian Balearic rock merchants Almunia, while their flipside "Alternative Remix" is a bounding, peak-time-ready jazz-house workout.
Review: Italian ensemble 291out are known for many things, though it's their love of dadaist ideas and mind-bending jazz-funk fusion that linger in the memory. They rather enjoy collaborating with others, too. Having previously released a hook-up with Bop on Early Sounds, they've now joined forces with Ivan "Flyme" Cibien as 291outer space. The result is a deliciously out-there and intergalactic set of sparkling, synth-laden epics that variously draw inspiration from Italian futurism, jazz-funk, classic sci-fi, organic house, ambient jazz soundscapes and cosmic disco. To enhance the EP's star gazing credentials, closing cut "Criogenesys" features a spoken word vocal that tells the (imagined) tale of a particularly memorable voyage into deep space.
Tastes Like Freedom (Chaos In The CBD remix) (5:43)
Tastes Like Freedom (Tornado Wallace Red Face remix) (8:21)
Tastes Like Freedom (Yu Su Midnight Blossom remix) (4:45)
Review: This is a genuinely excellent remix package, with a quartet of hugely talented artists taking it in turns to provide interesting, mostly floor-friendly revisions of 30/70's warming, jazz-funk-meets-soul jam 'Tastes Like Freedom'. Chaos in the CBD steps up first, re-imagining the track as a jazzy slab of sun-kissed electro bliss, before Carista smothers the band's original drums in moody, foreboding chords, psychedelic acid lines and oodles of delay and reverb. Tornado Wallace channels the spirit of Laurent Garnier's 'Man With The Red Face' - and the St Germain material that the French DJ championed on his F Communications label - on a superb, slow-building deep house anthem in the making, while Yu Su's EP-ending 'Midnight Blossom' remix is a warming, intoxicating downtempo delight.
Review: We've long felt that there's something in the water down in Melbourne. Australia's second city is home to a surprisingly high number of talented producers, musicians and DJs. The latest outfit primed for international success is 30/70, a nine-piece collective that's has been doing its thing since the middle of the decade. Elevate, their first 12" for Rhythm Section International, offers an expansive showcase for their genre-bending, fusion-heavy style, where bustling jazz instrumentation and seriously soulful vocals are effortlessly blended with elements of Afrobeat, jazz-funk, broken beat, hip-hop and hazy downtempo grooves. It's a deliciously warm and summery set of tracks, all told, suggesting that 30/70 will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
Review: First played by Gilles Peterson, "Morning Child" is part disco, part neo-soul and part musical. It has a cinematic opening and the mythical voice of Carina Anderson. The b-side is a hot, soulful r&b styled track with the voice of US sensation J Davey. This is an essential 4 Hero release.
Review: 44th Move is a project from talented pianist Alfa Mist and Richard Spaven, two of the brightest lights in London's current jazz scene revival. "We shared a lot of the same influences [so] we got to writing straight away" they say of their natural pairing. The music they come up with is lush, majestic, heart swelling, with broken beats and tender pianos. simmering chords and melancholic moods all permeating each of the sublime tracks. 'Hope' is a standout for its florid trumpet playing and 'Broken' is a real dancer for floors that know.
Review: The 45 King was given unprecedented access to the rescued master tapes in the archives of the recently relaunched Westbound Records label in order to create the beats for this bumper album. The music of Junie Morrison and Ohio Players features heavily of course as The King pays tribute to the original iconic breakbeats that helped make him such a don in the hip-hop world. This box has seven singles in all, with 13 of these new tunes all appearing across seven differently coloured slices of wax.
Am I The Same Girl (feat Momoko Suzuki & Reiko Oda From Cosa Nostra) (4:10)
Soulful Strut (Organ mix) (4:11)
Review: 45trio share their first release for Bloom Musi, this time around covering the stone-cold classic 'Am I The Same Girl', co-written by Eugene Record, of Chi-Lites fame, with Sonny Sanders, for singer Barbara Acklin. In '92, Swing Out Sister covered the album, but this latest rendition hears 45trio's Momoko Suzuki and Reiko Oda lend it a sweeter style by comparison. This dainty, vivid young soul morsel is a fine-tuned fine tune, one you'll undoubtedly want to continue humming along to long after its central, unmistakable hook - transposed up at least two octaves here - has played out. The B-side includes a special instrumental version, no less, released under the name of Young-Holt Unlimited - this one brings the hook line to an organ part, demonstrating the written song's potent and versatile instrumental repertoire.
Review: Some 10 years ago 45 Trio first appeared with their silky smooth strain of live band boogie and broken beat, minting an album on Origami Productions before making a welcome comeback in 2020. Their latest 7" continues a fruitful run with Bloom Music, leading in with the lounge-ready synth-funk of 'Remind Me', with a luscious piece of Moog-esque low end which makes a nod to Lowrell's evergreen 'Mellow Mellow Right On'. 'Miles To Cross' is a looser, jazzier affair with a widescreen arrangement which features a guest spot from Calmera's Yousuke Kobayashi.
Review: 45Trio is a Japanese jazz outfit comprised of Junichi Sunayama, Masahiko Kubo and Shingo Hirakawa that has been turning out fresh jams since 2013 including an album and several 45rpms. 'Saudade Vem Correndo' is a new funk and soul-infused jazz sound that arrives especially for Record Store Day 2023 on limited edition 7". The A-side original is a nice louche and late-night lounge groove with magical melodies and catchy samba rhythms. On the flip is a DJ Koco edit that brings a hip-hop vibe that reminds of the late great J Dilla.
Review: Ooh... Only 350 of these hand numbered doozies are being pressed with no digital versions and a three colour hand-stencilled sleeve. Talk about hot property! Naturally the content is exemplary. A classic east-meets-west scenario: Japan's 9DW shows off his slinky jazz boogie side and more mischievous Italo side with "Bobby's Jam" and "Funky Magician" respectively. Meanwhile on the B Pittsburgh live fusionists get loose with a Pat Metheny style jazz session ("Groovejam 1.6") and a freaky drum-supported bed of Rhodes and crisp clean guitars ("Rhododendron").
Review: Soon to be followed by two more from the mighty Ratio - ACR:EPC and ACR:EPR - EPA is the opening chapter in a triptych born from nothing. Or at least no fixed plan or specific agenda. A day spent jamming in the studio with close friend of the band and regular vocal collaborator, Denise Johnson, the recordings here and on the pair still to come represent the work they did that day, shortly before the world lost the woman in question forever.
Passing away in July 2020, well before her time, this is ACR paying tribute to another integral part of the Manchester music Factory. From the hypnotic and woozy 'Wonderland', where Donna Summer meets acid jazz, to the more straight-laced disco material - delivered with an edge you'd expect in terms of instrumentation and vocals - EPA is a fitting way to honour her legacy.
Akwasi Mensah, Dego, Theo Parrish - "It's Just Begun"
Review: All has been quiet at Wildheart Recordings since label founders Theo Parrish and Tony Allen inaugurated proceedings with the soulful double drop of Day Like This, which is understandable given their respective touring schedules. Out of nowhere a second release arrives and finds Wildheart looking back but still being forward thinking with a timely reappraisal of a West Coast gem from A Race Of Angels. The recording alias of Yeofi Andoh, A Race of Angels will be familiar to Gifted & Blessed fans for their Steoples work together and his fragile vocal talents is on full display with "Just Begin". Initially released as part of the ArtDontSleep Presents... From L.A. With Love compilation back in 2007, "Just Begin" is a classy slice of minimal songwriting and gets further blessed by a B Side rework featuring the collective talents of Theo, Dego and Akwasi Mensah.
Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band - "What Can You Bring Me?" (2:45)
Review: You just cannot miss with this superb label which is now up to release number 33 in this series. And the latest is a golden-era classic featuring legendary mic men A Tribe Called Quest and top soul boy Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band. The A-side features the track taken from A Tribe Called Quest's Love Movement album so is packed with their signature beats and bars. On the B-side, you are treated to the funky original sample source from Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band which delivers a raw, infectious groove. If you love classic hip hop and funk, and why wouldn't you, this is a great pairing.
Review: Abacus (Austin Bascom) is a household name in the Chicago house and techno scene for over 30 years now. He has been on some of the best labels of all time like Prescription, Fragile, Balance and Guidance records. As you can imagine, Collectors Edition Vol 1 is full of classy house music to say the least. 'Chi-Town Stories' is a blend of super smooth and uplifting prime time floor business. We absolutely think you will adore this track. 'The Mourning Sun' is a stunning ambient house beauty that will have you dancing with your eyes-closed. 'Hygge' finishes things off on a sexy house vibe. There is really something for everyone on this. Abacus stands for quality for those who know.
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