Nathan Haines - "U See That" (feat Vanessa Freeman & Marcus Begg - Atjazz Love Soul mix) (5:12)
The Realm x Atjazz x Kelli Sae - "On The Road" (vocal mix) (7:58)
Review: Back ion 2021, the relaunched Foliage Records imprint offered up a killer mix from NYC house legends Mood II Swing, the must-check Deep Rooted. Soon, the revitalised label will release a sequel, with long-serving British deep house don Atjazz at the helm. This sampler EP boasts six of the highlights from that set - all remixed and reworked by Atjazz himself. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the tense, slowly building deep-tech shuffle of Halo''s 'Glorty (Atjazz Galaxy Art Remix)'and the sun-splashed 6am bounce of Atjazz's remix of Dominique Fils-Aime's gorgeous 'Sun Rise', to the dreamy dancefloor wooziness of Ralf GUM's 'AWA' (re-imagined by Atjazz as an Osunlade-esque spiritual house workout) and the jazzy, bass-guitar-propelled broken house excellence of 'On The Road (Vocal Mix)', a three-way collab between Atjazz, Kelli Sae and The Realm.
Review: Four artists with a taste for classic deep house infused with more than a touch of house line on the Silver Walker label's sixth release. Following releases on the likes of Local Talk, Balance, Traxx Underground, Mate, Quintessentials and upcoming projects on Nervous and NDATL, Shaka opens proceedings with a flurry of Hammond and plenty of exotic percussion, lie Alan Hawkshaw riffing with Underground Resistance. Glenn Davis (Wolf, Yore Records, Deeper Groove and Selections Records) delivers a deeper house workout on the A2 house track, the jazzy keyboard chords, fluttering flute and restless synths working real magic. One of the masterminds behind the Silver Walker label, Diego aka DFRA, comes on all perky with the saxes and soloing Rhodes, on the second side's opener, 'Nitewax'. Then we close with Damien aka Keymono (founder of several labels including Monocturne Records and Funkyshirts) laying on the handclaps of classic disco strings, the snippets of funk guitar and vibes the cherry on top.
Review: First Word Records thrill us with a brand new album from present-day jazz legend Kaidi Tatham. Miles Away marks his sixth solo full-length for the award-winning London label, with ten fresh tracks all performed by the multi-instrumentalist himself. This is a masterclass in forward-thinking, genre-blurring electronic jazz; Rhodes keys, pianos, synths, strings, horns, and flutes flow floridly over roomy percussion and drum intricacies, representing Kaidi's unmistakable sound. From the smooth funk of 'Misty Garden' to the infectious 'Sweet Cherry Punch', the album redshifts a kaleidoscope of styles: bruk, boogie, soul, and even reggae-steppers on the closing 'Ku Deh'.
Review: This one oozes more cool than George Clooney sat poolside and sipping on Kool-Aid. It is the seventh offering in this fine series which features the most iconic reworked, retouched and edited tracks from the legendary soundscapes of Pikes Hotel in Ibiza. There is no better place to ask up the gorgeous vibrations of 'Mata' with its steamy trumpets and genre-breaking beats than under the Mediterranean sun. The flipside 'Xiprell' captures the essence of laid-back sophistication and the warmth of Ibiza with arching prog guitars and pensive chords draped over the most go-slow live drums.
Review: Much loved Michigan techno and ambient virtuoso John Beltran wraps up the so far so excellent Back to Bahia 7 series with the a final volume that proves to be the most dancefloor focussed offering yet. Leading with 'O Patio,' Beltran shows his class with a blend of jazz-funk and MPB that comes with a rather sunny Ibiza-inspired twist while echoing the vibes of Latin greats like Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti. On the flip side, 'Belle Isle' is a perfect party anthem for those outdoor sessions - think beach gatherings or cookouts and you won't go wrong. This has been a brilliant series and while it's a shame it's over, this is a fitting way to end it.
Review: If It Ain't Jazz, we don't know what it has! Back, after a punctuated pause, the label return to dazzle us with their enduring, distinctive brand of instrumental disco-soul razzmatazz, and here we hear Laroye and Aroop Roy rub two heads' choices up the right way, both into phattened, globular, kick-boosted anthems. First comes 'You're A Star', an electroni-cization of Aquarian Dream's 1978 disco explosion, to which Laroye brings much extra shimmy and sway. Then there's Roy's 'Let The Music Play', sampling an unknown (to us) number that - don't get caught off guard - certainly *isn't* Shannon's freestyle hit from 1983. Whatever it is though, it's a banger too!
Review: Oooh! Angie Stone's "Wish I Didn't Miss You" definitely belongs in the canon of all time modern soul classics. Taken from her 2001 second album Mahogany Soul, the Swizz Beats produced track made optimum usage of an O' Jays sample and was instrumental in that LP going gold and propelling the former D'Angelo collaborator to stardom. It also inspired countless official and under the counter remixes with Blaze's perhaps the most recognisable. So yes this reissue on 7" from Outta Sight is worthy if you don't have the original in your collection and features a housed up remix from Hex Hector on the flip.
Review: El Michels Affair returns with a new two-track release that showcases his continued excellence as both a producer and musician. The A-side, 'Mr Brew,' opens with a menacing intro before evolving into a spacious tune masterfully balancing tension and release. Gentle guitars, strings, flutes and brass weave over a heavy drum track to make for a bright and immersive landscape. On the B-side, 'Kodak' is a lesson in space and arrangement with mellow drums and beautiful instrumentation setting the perfect mood. EMA's trademark restraint ensures the vibe remains the focal point while delivering a perfectly crafted sound that never overwhelms.
Review: A modern lunar take on jazz and disco, Jazz On The Moon hears Italian producer Paolo Fedreghini moonwalk backwards through live horns, bass, synth and guitar for a crisply produced six-track EP. Opening with original NASA-issue intercom vocals from the 1968 moon landing, 'Interstellar' crafts a moonscape of Harmon-muted trumpet and avant-garde growls, while expansive electro-funk opens out on the title track and 'Distant Planet', by which point a tonal shift is underway. The vibe is increasingly P-funky, erring desolate on the interluding 'Outer Space', before we wind up purblinded by the light side of the mood on closers 'Groove Odyssey' and 'Cosmic Funk'.
Review: Unusually adept, jazzdancey sonic handicraft from new Rekids signee, Quiet Village. If we at Juno could issue some kind of official rosette or emblem for 'wicked production skills'- on par with a master builder's sextant-engraved headstone - then we'd award Quiet Village with one such memento in a heartbeat. 'Reunion', pressed onto vinyl for the first time here, hears a loose yet effortlessly rhythmic drum break furl, dance about a smooth, nighttime jazz progression for sax and piano. It's giving visions of a down-and-out PI in an 80s neo-noir/romantic drama genre fusion, except this protagonist has just tuned into Rinse FM for the first time - and Rinse FM, in this alternate reality, exists in the 80s. The 'Reprise' version is equally as evocative, sans-ing the drums to allow space to listen to just the melodics, just the overarching ambiences. It's as if Quiet Village know that the true force of the tune, its essence, rests in the core mystique of the aforementioned instrumental combo; the ghost of the drums may continue to play back only in our minds, yet we continue to dance.
Review: For those familiar with manchester sax player Birchall's previous forays into dub, this album offers a deep dive into the analogue 70s Jamaican dubbing techniques that have defined the genre, paying homage to the trailblazers like King Tubby and Errol Thompson. The source material is heavily percussive, resulting in a collection of dynamic, dubby drum workouts that seamlessly blend live drumming in the Count Ossie style with drum machines that recall Lee Perry's experimental approach. A highly anticipated dub companion to Nat Birchall's acclaimed Dimension of the Drums LP, this continues in a similar spirit of the previous. Drawing inspiration from classic dub albums like Keith Hudson's Pick A Dub and Winston Edwards' King Tubby Meets The Upsetter at the Grass Roots of Dub, Birchall reimagines the tracks with roots dub precision, incorporating fresh horn lines and hand drums to enhance the album's authentic, organic vibe. The LP includes two distinct mixes of a new rhythm track that wasn't part of the original album, adding an extra layer of excitement for listeners. Birchall once again handles all aspects of the albumiplaying instruments, recording, mixing and masteringiensuring a deeply personal touch in every track. All in total, eight tracks of instrumental dub bliss that transport you back to the golden era of reggae's most inventive sound.
Review: An impressively retro-feeling "breaksoul" choice from London label Digga Please?, once again delivering on their promise to bring the finest in funk, soul, disco, rap, b-boy breaks and "all that good shit". First released in 2004 on the iconic Freestyle Records, 'Get It On' is a bona fide cut & paste classic, its break-do backbeat and slippery funk vamps harking a filtered Rhodes line; here an obscure r&b libretto sings demonstratively, warning us of an incumbent detailing of her preferred mode of frisking: "this is how we like to get it on!" The record then segues into a timeless Gil-Scott Heron sample and breaks-tastic track slathered in sax, attesting to a so-called coolness that can be tapped by anyone willing to ease into it: "hipness is not a state of mind, it's a fact of life".
Review: Master drummer and producer Alexander Flood debuts his rhythmic first record on Atjazz, following up the sumptuous first single 'Life Is A Rhythm'. A truly exciting record on foliate green vinyl, this LP packs a production paradox, bringing both boomy bodyweight and a shape-cutting, 2-stepping sense of ease at the same time. With extra layers of perc in the rhythm section, with Brazilian percussionist Aduni on congas and Cuban percussionist Alexander Scull Castillo on bata, it's actually really the dance-flooring production that grabs us here, heard best in the plum chords and erratic pianos of 'Don't Wait For Me', and/or the live bruk ghost dance 'Sidestep'.
Review: Loftsoul's Re Works series is back with a sixth chapter that gets decidedly deep, not least with the opener 'Deep Poem'. It is just that - a smoky mix of dubby and slow-motion drums, wispy synths and spoken words that make for an intimate vibe. 'Euro-Express' brings rickety Kraftwerk rhythms and sleek synths right up to date with bigger low ends, then a classic piece of Ryuichi Sakamoto ambient gets a remix with some more crunchy textures but the same sense of melodic gorgeousness. Four useful sounds for constructing late-night mixes.
Review: The mighty Dez Andres has hooked up with Parisian digger Victor Kiswell for a sublime new double album on Spot Lite that finds a perfect sweet spot between both men's sound. It stems from a party that explores Arabic grooves from Northern Africa and the Middle East and pairs that with low slung deep house beats and hip-hop inspired joints. It's woozy and warm, packed with killer melodies and hooky riffs and is right up there with some of Dez's best work. Highlights include the likes of 'Grand Meze In Gemmayze' with its dusty beats and 'Bounce The Casbah' with Middle Eastern guitars that ring out with great soul.
Review: Some 30 years have now passed since Warp Records decided to repackage and reissue Red Snapper's first three EPs on one handy collection, the efflortlessly excellent Reeled & Skinned. Effectively the duo's introduction to a wider audience, it did a great job in showcasing their trademark sound - an enticing blend of loose-limbed live drums, double bass, intoxicating electronics and snaking sax sounds. As this anniversary vinyl reissue proves, it's a musical blend that still sounds fresh all these years on. The plentiful highlights include moody theme 'Snapper' (featuring Beth Orton), lightly Latin-tinged punk-funk workout 'Swank', the riotous and aggressive 'Wesley Don't Surf' and Sabres of Paradise's incredible rework of 'Hot Flush' - a jazzy, breakbeat-driven slab of dancefloor deepness that ranks among Andrew Weatherall and company's finest remixes.
Smack Dab In The Middle (7-Inch edit By Mr K) (5:25)
Review: No one edits a classic like Mr. K, as he has proven time and time again. Now the legendary studio craftsman is back and revisiting Paradise Garage and some of the club's legendary sounds. First up is TW Funkmasters' 'Love Money,' which was conceived by UK radio reggae jock Tony Williams and fuses Dennis Brown's reggae hit 'Money In My Pocket' with early rap influences. The dub version was embraced by New York's dance scene and became iconic at the 'Garage, with many homages coming later such as Larry Levan's Man Friday remake, 'Love Honey, Love Heartache.' On the flip, Janice McClain's 1979 Philly disco classic 'Smack Dab In The Middle' shines as Larry Levan's mix is reworked by Mr. K who turns up the jazzy groove with fresh breaks.
Review: Keita Sano & Sauce81 unite for 'Feeling Alright', a raw, soul-drenched house cut on Madrid's Lovemonk. Both artists break their weight classes on this 7", transcending past releases on Optimo, Local Talk, Mister Saturday Night, and Eglo for a twofold vocal-instrumental lariat. No disappointments here: Sano's visceral grit meets Sauce81's boogie-soaked synths and fervent "alright" vocals, forging a deep, sweat-soaked groove. The track, cherried by its instrumental version, assures that things are OK, and you are too. The song's "yeah, yeah, yeah" intonations, meanwhile, help pump the groove to a head.
Review: This 45rpm features alternate versions of tracks from Marc Mac's Visioneers project. As always with Visioneers, the album reimagined hip-hop's foundational sounds and often started from scratch and focused on a key sample from the original track. Whether recontextualising a classic or creating something entirely new, the hallmark of a Visioneers record is its live instrumentation, which belies Marc Mac's ability to manipulate hip-hop's signature swing with a new type of mastery. 'What It Mean' and 'Today' are both standout from the album.
The Great Marmalade Mama In The Sky (Yage remix) (5:15)
Wooden Ship (Yage remix) (5:37)
Review: This package of remixes of tunes from Translations is a real gem for lovers of Future Sound of London. plenty of familiar samples and textures are worked into the five Yage remixes as are cosmic overtones, sitars, drones, backward guitars and more. 'The Big Blue' is a woozy intergalactic sound on slow-mo beats, 'Requiem' is a worldly dub, 'The Lovers' has psyched-out lead riffs that bring prog energy and 'The Great Marmalade Mama In The Sky' has drunken tabla drums and mesmeric strings for a perfect retro-future comedown. 'Wooden Ship' is a spine-tingling sound with choral vocals bringing the celestial charm.
Wake Up In The Sunshine (Naughty NMX LAX To JFK mix) (4:34)
Keep A Level Head (RuNmX Naughty But Humble mix) (4:21)
Review: Dusty Donut's Naughty NMX returns with a double helping of irresistible grooves to make you move. On the A-side, he reimagines a timeless summer funk classic with a vibrant, Nubian-inspired twist that instantly brightens up any space. On the B-side, he teams up with label mate Runex to deliver a deeper, soulful vibe, featuring smooth production, punchy rhythms, and slick drums. The result is a track that's impossible not to move to, bringing both energy and joy and the perfect way to get the spirit of summer alive and well, even as the darker months remain here.
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.
Translation 5: The Great Marmalade Mama In The Sky (4:35)
Translation 6: Requiem (5:48)
Translation 7: Things Change Like The Patterns & Shades That Fall From The Sun (5:56)
Translation 8: The Big Blue (7:44)
Review: This double record - originally released in 2002 - is a deep dive into the duo's creative process, reimagining the 1991 classic through multiple sonic lenses. The London duo bring an album's worth of reinterpretations, starting with the evergreen original version's ethereal pads and hypnotic breakbeats. T2 merges the iconic melody with playful elements blending dreamy basslines and warm builds with subtle psychedelic hues. T3 extends the atmospherics and psych guitar wails in the final stretch triumphantly. T4 drifts into ambient psych-rock while T5 is a harsher more abrasive version. T6 is a slow, genre-blending piece with psychedelic undertones and emotional weight, gracefully building toward a euphoric blend of organ notes, complex drum patterns and smooth saxophone. Finally, T8 closes with lush downtempo elegance, layering sitars, sax and processed vocals from the original track for a mesmerising finale. Old skool fans will lap this up all over again.
Review: This is one of the most ambitious 7"s we've ever come across - it is an EP with 11 'tracks' that all play out like a beat tape with interludes crafted by SNDTRAK. It has everything a good beat tape should have - dusty drums, ill samples and a rich sense of soul and storytelling. It moves at pace through the different moods and grounds with gorgeous pianos, sunny vocals, lush strings and mellifluous melodies all grabbing your attention at various points as it plays out. A wonderful and cultural trip through sound.
Review: The first ever release on the International Anthem label came by way of Rob Mazurek, genius musician of of the Jersey and Chicago jazz "schools". The trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist turned ever more avant-garde on this two-suite album, which was dedicated to the lunar cycle and heard him forgoing his signature brass for a monophonic cornet experiment, recorded at Chicago bar Curio. Documenting the performance, which was delivered alongside Matthew Lux on electric bass and Patrick Avery on organ, IA transport us right on back into the room with the trio, letting us in on a real-live experience of sidereal drones, selene harmonics and waning delays, paradoxically featuring in a suite which, both of whose titles suggest, always waxes crescent.
Review: Berlin-based Sydneysider LOGIC1000 (real name Samantha Poulter) enjoyed a prolific and productive 2024, becoming something of an in-demand DJ, producer and remixer on the back of her acclaimed debut album Mother, a typically distinctive affair that pulled deep house in a variety of woozy, melodious and inventive new directions. Her inclusion in K7's long-running DJ Kicks series is therefore well-earned. It offers a home listening-ready distillation of her sound that's notably 'calmer' (in the label's words) than her club sets. But that's no bad thing, as it allows greater exploration of experimental, downtempo and hyper-pop, alongside a string of exclusives (including the obligatory track created for the series) and some heady, mid-tempo dancefloor grooves.
Review: It's a while since we last heard from Spiral Deluxe, the deep house/nu-jazz fusion project of Jeff Mills, fellow Underground Resistance affiliate Gerald Mitchell, jazz guitarist Kenji Hino and Buffalo Daughter member Umiko Ohno. Having previously released two EPs (in 2017 and 18 respectively), the quartet has finally got round to recording a debut album. Fusing beats and electronics rooted in deep house, jazz-funk and - in a roundabout way - Motor City tech-jazz - with the virtuoso playing of Hino and Ohno, the set delivers a more fluid, instantaneous and loose-limbed exploration of the jazz-house blueprint drawn up by St Germain in the early 1990s. Basically, it's an album that draws the best out of its contributors, and there's no greater praise than that.
Review: On The Inside is the debut album from acclaimed Leeds dark jazz and funk trio, Gotts Street Park. A genre-hopping odyssey with silky production and an impressive set of guest collaborators, the album is an intended sonic diary of everything their relationship as a band encompasses, both as collaborators and close friends. Following up their more studio-oriented compendiums 'Volume One' and 'Volume Two', this album is more of a personal invitation into their own practice space, though it also does just as well to channel original Motown influences and provide ample space for featuring artists Rosie Lowe, Pip Millet and ENNY to flourish.
Eden With The Invisible Session (with The Invisible Session - TIS version) (4:02)
Etna (with The Invisible Session) (4:05)
Call (with The Invisible Session) (4:13)
Eden (3:57)
Noir (2:50)
Review: ANAN is a project by DJs Roberto Agosta and Massimo Napoli and it takes its name from their surnames, repeated twice. Their new album is inspired by jazz, 70s psychedelia, Afrobeat, cumbia and soul and was recorded in a space in Catania, Sicily, where they melded those inspirations into a versatile and innovative sound. The session musicians manage to really lay down some deep melodies to give the album a live session feel. Tracks like 'Eden' and 'Naif' combine cinematic jazz with African influences, while 'Eros' blends Ethiopian and Indian cultures. 'Mind' offers a hypnotic cumbia and 'Etna' evokes spiritual psychedelia. The album includes also collaborations with The Invisible Session which take things to even higher spiritual planes.
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.
God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (feat Yazmin Lacey) (4:11)
Ajala (0:42)
The Traveller (4:48)
N29 (3:56)
No One's Watching Me (feat Olivia Dean) (4:57)
Hear My Cry (3:31)
Shaking Body (3:14)
Expensive (6:10)
Streets Is Calling (feat Manifest & Moonchild Sanelly) (3:08)
Why I Smile (5:20)
Have Patience (2:35)
Everybody (4:01)
Review: One year on from making history as the first ever jazz band to be awarded the Mercury Prize, Ezra Collective are continuing to pump out their sensational, unique blend of jazz, roots, afrobeat and calypso. 'Dance No One's Watching' is the highly anticipated follow-up to the aforementioned award-winning 'Where I'm Meant to Be'. Set to release in September, the two singles 'God Gave Me Feet For Dancing' and 'Ajala' set the bar high. The prior is a jazzy, drum-led groove backing the buttery smooth Yazmin Lacey, a name to watch in the soul scene (famously she was scouted after being persuaded to sing on a drunken night out.) The track is a sunny interpolation of Cy Grant's 'Feeling Good' (though let's face it, Nina Simone truly made that record) with a quintessential British soul sound that brings to mind the stylings of Greentea Peng, early Jorja Smith work etc. To boil it down to 'easy listening' would feel reductive but, my God, it's easy on the ears for sure. Single number two, 'Ajala' is quite a stark contrast. Incorporating the hectic feeling of bebop classics, it's a blaring and fast-paced brass session with some great high-tempo percussive afrobeat. Taking its name from the Yoruba slang for fidgety, derived from the Nigerian journalist who one day decided to travel the world on a moped, the track does just that: it begs you to get up and move. If these two tracks are anything to go by, the world is set for a future award winner this Autumn.
Lovely Day (Studio Rio instrumental version) (3:59)
Review: The bossa nova remake of Bill Withers' classic 'Lovely Day' by Studio Rio is a masterful mood lifter. Reissued by Mr Bongo, this track was a game-changer at the Shapes festival, transforming a snowy Alpine setting into a feel-good dancefloor. Originating from Studio Rio's 2014 release The Brazil Connection, the Grammy-winning Berman Brothers collaborated with Brazilian legends like Marcos Valle and Roberto Menescal. They used original multitracks to seamlessly blend Withers' soulful vocals with bossa nova rhythms. Joyful horns, a bouncing double bass, and Pretinho da Serrinha's cavaquinho playing create an end-of-night anthem that radiates warmth and positivity.
Review: British Bantu visual artist and musician Zola Marcelle shares her debut album, an ingenious ten-track record of ancestral musings, ethereal sound-dreamscapes and narrative vignettes, informed by soul, broken beat, and the musics of Zimbabwean Shona and South African Sotho. A riveting journey back through bloodlines and future-past hopes, Marcelle brings an impressively playful vocal and etheric attitude; opener 'Highlight' is an invitingly tender funky jazz primer, against which Zola speaks, outlining eternally recursive goals for life; the latter half of the record is more quelling, with 'Kgotso' building on the Sotho word for "stillness" to convey the later feeling of loitering in God's waiting room, while the B-side builds 'Saturn Drive' and 'Beyond' circle back to softly intoned Afro-beatifics.
Review: JKriv's classic Bukom Mashie Rework gets a deluxe revival in a delectable 7-inch package having long been hard to find if not out of print entirely. And now what's more it also features a fresh acid dub. The original eight minute opus has been expertly trimmed for a streamlined A-side stomper, while the B-side showcases a brand-new version with a reimagined arrangement. This edition is embellished with vibrant 303 acid lines and live flute by the talented Domenica from Underground System all of which ensure that it is sure to become a big summer anthem once more in 2024.
Review: With their debut album on !K7 Records, Kassian (aka the pairing of Joe Danvers-McCabe and Warren Cummings) return to the warm, sample-based house sounds that originally brought them together. Over five years, they revisited early ideas, refining their craft to create a record that explores emotional depth beyond their club-focused tracks. The album has been, we're told, shaped by time, loss and reflection so weaves through various atmospheres with live instrumentation, field recordings and percussion that evolve over time. Featuring Joe Armon-Jones from Ezra Collective on keys and Timothy Kraemer on cello, Channels makes for a tender and introspective journey.
Review: Dean Josiah Cover AKA Info's Sault collective has been one of the success stories of the last few years - a hard-to-pigeonhole outfit that manages to knock out inspired albums at a rate of knots. Their latest full-length, '11', is another brilliant and must-check excursion. Largely lo-fi, languid and laidback, it delivers a particularly loose and lo-fi take on soul - blessed with their usual nods to Afrobeat and soundsystem culture - whose instrumentation is deliberately sparse and laidback (think bass guitar, drums and guitar). The results are rarely less than impeccable, with the collective's vocals (both female and male singers feature) rising above vintage-sounding grooves and arrangements that variously doff a cap to Sly Stone, Cymande and - on the drowsy, warming and synth-sporting 'Higher' - the more tactile end of British 80s soul.
What You Won't Do For Love (feat Ryuto Kasahara - Muro re-edit) (4:44)
Love Theme From Sparticus (Kenichiro Nishihara remix) (3:07)
Review: Japanese jazz, funk and rare groove sensations Nautilus share their latest cover version, this time of Bobby Caldwell's 'What You Won't Do For Love'. This version stars Toshiyuki Saki on guest drums and vocalist Ruto Kasahara on vocals, bringing a digressional arc to Nautilus' usual sound. On the flip comes another rerub, this time of Nautilus' own 'Love Theme From Spartacus', from their latest album, remixed by producer Kenichiro Nishihara, which incorporates a light-hearted and feathery jazz-hop verve.
Review: Last year, Kiko Navarro unveiled a regularly updated Spotify playlist, entitled TwentyFour, which he uses to showcase his favourote productions, reworks of other artists, an d remixes if his work. That playlist has now spawned the first of what we believe will be an ongoing series of EPs. The long-serving Spanish artist (and Afroterraneo Music founder) begins by showcasing his fine, pleasingly rolling re-edit of Blaze's hybrid soulful house/Earth Wind & Fire style disco classic, 'Breathe', before treating us to a superb, sample-heavy and piano-rich Tucillo remix of his own 'The First Time'. Over on side B, he serves up some bouncy disco-house action ('Jammin' All Night Long', with its female spoken word vocals, jazzy pianos and killer groove) and an authentic-sounding Afrobeat re-make of 'Isao' by DJ Fudge.
Enjoy The Silence (Smoove Multitrack rework) (5:31)
Let's Stay Together (Smoove Multitrack rework) (6:20)
Blind Alley (Smoove Multitrack rework) (4:46)
Review: While the Reflex was the first to forge a career out of multi-track re-editing (which would have been called remixing back in the disco era, since you are rearranging using the original parts), plenty of producers have followed in his footsteps in recent times - not least popular disco and funk party-starter Smoove. Here he serves up a ninth instalment in his excellent 'Multitrack Reworks' series. On side A he does a stellar job in reinventing Depeche Mode's 'Enjoy The Silence' as a squelchy, synths-and-slap-bass sporting mid-tempo disco anthem, complete with spine-tingling vocal breakdowns. He opens side B with a stripped-back, dubbed-out take on Al Green classic 'Let's Stay Together', smartly emphasising the bittersweet beauty of the original version's orchestral accompaniment, before delivering a sweet, head-nodding take on the Emotions' 'Blind Alley'.
Review: Mahal by Glass Beams melds a diverse array of influences into a unique and enchanting soundscape. The Melbourne-based trio, shrouded in mystery with their mask-wearing anonymity, lets their music speak volumes. Built around founding member Ranjan Silva, their sound draws from the rich heritage of Ravi Shankar, Bollywood, Electric Light Orchestra, and traditional blues.Inspired by repeated viewings of 'The Concert For George', Silva's vision for Glass Beams seems to echo the fusion George Harrison envisioned when introducing classical Indian music to Western pop. The EP opens with 'Horizon,' setting a serene tone before leading into the title track 'Mahal,' an instrumental piece that envelops the listener in its mystical charm. 'Orb' follows with a riveting bass riff, while 'Snake Oil' delves deeper into Indian classical territory, showcasing evocative vocals. The EP concludes with 'Black Sand,' a dramatic and beautiful track featuring interwoven vocals and guitar. As their second EP, following Mirage, Mahal solidifies Glass Beams' distinct place in music, defying categorisation and quietly demanding attention with its almost otherworldly quality.
I Hear Music In The Streets (Expansions NYC dub) (4:51)
I Hear Music In The Streets (LV Classic Boogie mix) (6:33)
Review: It would be fair to say that post-disco outfit Unlimited Touch's 1980 single "I Hear Music In the Streets" is one of the greatest boogie/electrofunk records of all time. Louie Vega clearly agrees, because late last year he decided to gather together the remaining members of Unlimited Touch and record a fresh 2020 version. The A-side "Touch Mix" is the bomb. It features a more organic-sounding disco-boogie groove than the 1980 original, with delicious guitars, bass and electric piano/organ underpinning seriously good group vocals from the sometime Prelude-signed outfit. Over on the flip, Vega serves up an electric piano solo-laden dub mix, as well as a "Classic Boogie" take that naturally sounds very similar to the band's much-loved original version.
Didn't I (feat Cerebral Vortex - 1773 remix) (4:05)
Review: The exact backstory of this one is hard to pin down but suffice it to say if you haven't heard Darondo's 'Didn't I' before then as soon as you do you will fall in love. It has previously been released on a 7" entitled 'Edits' by Stefan Trischler aka Trishes back in 2010 but with a different B-side. Here it comes on TLM with a 1773 remix on the flip. The original is a hard-ass funk cut with raw and tough drums and splintered hi-hats all topped off with the aching and soulful vocal sample and some distant lavish strings. The flip side version features Cerebral Vortex and has extra bars that add a hip-hop touch.
Pleasure, Joy & Happiness (Musclecars remix) (9:24)
Circles Going Round The Sun (Laroye remix) (8:06)
Review: Yet two more Brownswood bubblers rise to the surface, this time under the well-organised branch of the tree known as Brownswood Remix Editions, which does what it says on the lovey-dovey carving. Here, back-to-back debutants Musclecars and Laroye receive the Olympic torch from London-based acid jazz group Galliano, who've blazed a thick trail of flame since their original formation in 1988, not to mention a recent reformation in 2023. 'Pleasure, Joy & Happiness' hears a house musical chorale from Musclecars, with added vocal mystifications threshed in the stereo field, producing a Balearic effect. Laroye's version of 'Circles Going Round The Sun' brings swelling "Kaytra" grooves and bumper drums to an anticipatory mood, provided by the original's solo siren song and urban monologue.
Review: Latest in our cornucopian supply of Afro-funk and dance crossover music comes Italian supergroup Addict Ameba with a new, sophomore single version of the 2024 LP Caosmosi, which followed on from 2020's Panamor, and demonstrated an impressive ear for stylistic continuity. Led up by the Josh Idehen-featuring single 'Look At Us', this polydirectional power mover crossed between desert blues, Afrobeat, Latin rock and Ethio-jazz, all while offering a slickly maximised sound - careful not too sacrifice all the headroom, though it occupied more than enough space to cross into the periodic threshold of weird. This 7" study of the record, focusing on tracks 'Caosmosi' and 'Por Nostalgia', suggest two of the album's best selective choices for the roving DJ.
Hate 2 Love U (feat Ari Lashell Marquinn Mason) (3:34)
Patterns (5:56)
Sex Fire Passion (4:52)
Wya (3:19)
Review: Luminaries of the St. Louis and Atlantan experimental dance circuits, Blvck Spade and Stefan Ringer reign over similar territories in the niche downland of raw, soulful house. Here the pair team up for the first time ever for a notable Touching Bass debut, with Ringer handling production and Spvde masterminding all things poetic, choral and verbal. Building on both artists' slowly accrued, and now prolific, contributions to such labels as Eglo, FWM and Dolfin Records, this newly erected album-temple hears the duo shift impossible sacral brickwork by the force of composition alone, with star relic 'YOURZZZ' especially cultivating an inner sanctum of humid cowbell, funky acid line, and theophanic vocal run.
Review: It may have been seven years since DJ Koze last delivered an artist album, but in defence the popular Hamburg producer had his hands full working with other artists (most notably Roisin Murphy). He has managed to put out the odd single, though, to which you can add this typically interesting and off-kilter two-tracker. A-side 'Buschtaxi' is deep house with a subtle Latin tinge - rhythmically at least - and layered with dreamy chords, African vocal samples, twittering melodies and attractive, sun-soaked synthesiser sounds. The long-serving producer flips the script on side B, reaching for crunchy, house-tempo breakbeats, moody bass, rising chords, what sound like mangled electric guitar motifs and effects-laden vocals courtesy of Marley Waters. More, please!
Review: An artist who continues his tradition of lush, Afro-influenced deep house with a release that exudes groove, musicality and tight craftsmanship. Trinidadian Deep (Damian Lee Ah Yen) has been one of the most consistent and respected names in deep house music for the better amount of 20 years now with his latest record being a perfect example at the quality and musicality of his style. Side-1 opens with 'Orisha Stomp', a percussive, jazz-tinged workout that keeps the energy high with its layered rhythms and hypnotic drive. It's tracky yet intricate, brimming with creative flourishes that make it a standout DJ tool. The title track, 'Light Work Productions', shifts into a more melodic and futuristic space, blending rich strings and deep, rolling basslines with a touch of Detroit soul. It's atmosphere strikes a balance between dancefloor momentum and emotive depth. On Side-2, 'U Are Loved' winds things down with warm keyboard grooves and a soothing, late-night vibe. Its effortless flow and strong playability make it a perfect closer, reinforcing Trinidadian Deep's ability to craft music that is both soulful and sophisticated.
Review: Mr Doris steps up with D-Funk Heat, a release that comfortably balances retro flair with modern groove. The production is sharp, with funky basslines that immediately grab attention, while the crisp drums and infectious synth lines keep everything fresh. Doris's ability to blend dancefloor-ready energy with nuanced musicality shines through, making this a record that's both playful and rich in its sonic textures. There's a sense of ease throughout, a laid-back confidence that invites listeners to move while staying fully immersed in the groove. It's a nod to the past with eyes firmly on the future.
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