Review: Ed Black, aka "edbl," is an increasingly prominent hip-hop and R&B artist and composer who has emerged from South London's indie music scene alongside luminaries like Jorja Smith and Jamie Isaac. His sound, a blend of lo-fi soul and hip-hop akin to Jordan Rakei and Tom Misch, garnered attention when Spotify UK featured him on their New Music Friday cover. Additionally, Music Business Worldwide Magazine nominated him as one of The Hottest Independent Artists In The World and now he backs up that potential with 'The Way Things Were,' featuring the mellifluous vocals of Isaac Waddington.
Review: Original Gravity strides into 2025 with this electrifying debut release from I Ragazzi. The limited 45 rpm has been crafted by the talented Neil Anderson and the title cut 'Terremoto' on the A-side bursts with funky, soulful energy that promises to keep floors moving and grooving all night long. It has big drums, crashing hits and driving Hammond organ stabs that never let up. On the flip, things get a little more laid back with 'Via Appia' which is led by more great organs, this time with swirling horn sounds and an inviting rhythm.
Review: Ltd B's good recent run of form continues with another dive into lush deep house realms courtesy of ICTV. First off the mark is 'Hit The Floor' with its US garage-inspired drums and some old school hip-house vocals. 'Orange Mood' is a steamy one with romantic melodies soothing the soul and some smart vocals adding a tough of firey soul. 'Adrift' then picks up the pace with some high-speed jungle breakbeats and 'Dazzling' sinks back into loved-up late-night sounds with expressive vocal yelps. Last of all, 'Sunset Recall' takes things down into blissed out realms with dusty drums and wispy pads.
Review: 'Fast Freddie the Roller Disco King' is a tune that is as good as its title. It was originally a single by Little Anthony and the Imperials (as The Imperials), featuring none other than Prince on guitar, synth and keyboards. The track's base was recorded by Prince with Pepe Willie and Andre Cymone at Sound Palace Studios in New York with later vocal and instrumental overdubs by The Imperials. The B-side, 'I Just Wanna Be Your Lovin' Man,' is an early version of '10:15,' though Prince's involvement as guitarist on this one remains unclear. Either way, this is a brilliant reissue for disco and funk lovers.
Inland Knights - "Figure It Out" (remastered) (5:13)
Inland Knights - "Figure It Out" (Mark Farina's Mushroom Jazz edit) (4:10)
Review: The Frosted label is back with more brilliance from Inland Knights in the form of this newly remastered version of the classic 'Figure It Out.' It was first put out back in 2013 as the first release on the label and remains a vital tune from the British pair. On the flip, Mark Farina is one of those hallowed producers who always has his own unique sonic signature, most famously under his Mushroom Jazz alias. His edit brings plenty of depth and broken beat lushness with noodling guitar riffs and spoken words making it a backroom gem.
Chill (Inkswel & Leonard Charles Space Funk rework) (3:50)
Hanna-ma-dia (Inkswel Jazz Cigarette Mash Up) (4:32)
Review: Prolific producer Inkswel becomes Inxxxwel for this new outing on 7" via the always excellent GAMM label. It's a two-tracker that is packed with hip hop, funk, soul and opens with 'Chill' - a Space Funk rework alongside Leonard Charles - which echoes the work of the great J Dilla as well as having some lush 90s r&b overtones. On the B-side, things get pitched down into New Jersey house territory with more sultry r&b tones on the excellent 'Hanna-Mi-Dia' (Inkswel Jazz Cigarette Mash Up) which features vocals from Blu & Ta'Raach. Two red hot jams, for sure.
Review: While the Melodeum label is based in Chicago, many of its releases take cues from rubbery tech-house, minimal techno and early 2000s style German 'digital disco'. There's a flavour of the latter sound, pioneered by the Force Inc label, on 'New Chapter', the lead cut from Iron1's first EP for the imprint. All elastic beats, jazzy synth-bass, playful samples and dreamy chords, it's tech-house-funk for the nu-disco generation. The Argentinian producer opts for a spot of tech-house/synth-jazz fusion on flipside opener 'Gossip', before going deeper and woozier on the sample-rich deep house funk of 'Jameson'. As debuts go, it's impressively assured and genuinely ear-catching.
Love Theme (Ilija Rudman Higher Ground mix part I) (3:20)
Love Theme (Ilija Rudman Higher Ground mix part II) (2:43)
Review: Ilija Rudman shows his class here with two edits for the always-on-point Brooklyn Highs label. He turns his hand to an original by Soul Men aka Black Moses and Part 1 will her you lost in a reverie. The meandering, stoned, slow-motion funk licks, gentle drums and wallowing chords all wash over you like a soothing breeze. The Higher Ground mix part II introduces buttery male vocals that drip with eroticism and soul. This one should come with a pregnancy warning.
Review: Mishell Ivon and Vincent Kwok are back and combining their skills once more with this brilliant bouncy new funk outing on The Sleepers. The first tune on this pocket-rocket of a 7" is 'High', a funky weapon that is high on life and built around well-syncopated drums and a percussive bassline. The icing on the cake is Mishell's vocals which weave in out of the synth stabs and lush keys, all of which are well arranged. Flip it over and you'll get lost in the funk once more with 'In The Dust' with its masterfully rhythmic bassline and more of those buttery Mishell vocals.
Review: Sofia Manari and Inokasira Rangers are not strangers to working together on their own unique covers of some classic sounds, all reworked into fresh dub grooves. This time they turn their focus to 'First Love, which is a lush listen with Manari's soothing and sultry vocal delivery. On the flip is another laid-back dub sound with a constant rhythmic pulse, natty chords and more clean and soulful vocals from Manari making this a sweet little 7" from Japan's finest, Parktone.
Review: Over the last couple of years, we've been treated to numerous reissues of classic cover versions by Japanese reggae/rocksteady combo Inokasira Rangers, including takes on Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', Pharrell's 'Happy' and New Order's 'Blue Monday'. Here we're treated to another, as the band's 2017 take on Underworld anthem 'Born Slippy' gets a fresh pressing. It's certainly a revolutionary revision, with Keichi Sokabe's surprisingly Karl Hyde-sounding lead vocal rising above a lusciously languid, sub-heavy reggae groove. Over on the flip they take on 'Groove Tube', a 1991 indie-pop-meets-acid house single from Japanese outfit Flipper's Guitar, reframing it as a baggy, glassy-eyed rocksteady number.
Review: The cult Ian Carr Quintet featured post-war British jazz luminary saxophonist Don Rendell for this special album recorded at the BBC Jazz Club in April 1965. He had become a great after playing with greats like Woody Herman and Stan Kenton. For this session, he hooked up with four younger and equally adventurous jazz musicians eager to innovate and this recording captures the magic they cooked up. It marked the debut of pianist Michael Garrick within the Quintet and he profoundly influenced the group's direction and arguably reshaped the broader British jazz sound. Without exaggeration, this album marks a pivotal point in the evolution of British jazz.
Donald Byrd - "You Gotta Dig It To Dig It" (13:35)
Review: Three Trumpets was recorded in 1957 and released on the New Jazz label. It features the Prestige All Stars led by revered trumpeters Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, and Idrees Sulieman and supported by a solid rhythm section of pianist Hod O'Brien, bassist Addison Farmer, and drummer Ed Thigpen. This sublime album includes five original compositions, one each by Farmer, Byrd, and O'Brien, and two by Sulieman. While none of the tracks became hits in their own right and with 'Palm Court Alley' being a blues delight, they all offer up dynamic performances and impressive interplay among the brass musicians.
Review: The Ethiopian Ibex Band's 1976 album Stereo Instrumental Music is being re-released as a cornerstone of Ethiopian music. This record is credited with shaping the modern sound of Ethiopian music and the band's enduring influence can be felt in the works of legends like Aster Aweke, Girma Beyene and Mulatu Astatke. Created by Giovanni Rico and Selam Woldemariam, Stereo Instrumental Music is part of a significant legacy that challenges the idea of a "golden age" of Ethiopian music and highlights the constant evolution of the sound. The Ibex Band, later known as The Roha Band, has remained central to that and Ethiopia's wider scene.
Review: India Arie was born in Colorado in 1975 and emerged as a superb singer-songwriter, producer and musician with her groundbreaking 2001 debut album, Acoustic Soul, which now gets remastered and reissued on vinyl. Defying conventional r&b norms, the album fused elements of soul, folk, and hip-hop and drew a diverse fanbase. Its honest, stripped-down beauty and Arie's rich vocal talent captivated listeners and set her apart from other artists of the time. Acoustic Soul received seven Grammy nominations, a testament to its impact, though it didn't secure a win. Nonetheless, the album remains a beloved classic and is widely regarded as her defining work.
Review: Takeshi Inomata is a pioneering drummer in Japan's jazz scene who launched the band Sound Limited in the late 1960s and set to work blending jazz and rock in a vibrant new direction. Influenced by the brass rock movement, Inomata sought to create music full of energy and free from the constraints of modern jazz. He brought together young, talented musicians to play with vitality and envisioned a large-scale sound. Their debut album, The Sound of Sounds LTD back in 1970, became a classic filled with dynamic performances, including the iconic 'Theme~Mustache,' a track that continues to define the band's legacy.
Review: Far Out Recordings launches its 30th anniversary celebrations with the highly anticipated release of The Ipanemas's Samba is Our Gift which lands on vinyl for the very first time. Originally dropped in 2006, the album seamlessly blends Afro-Brazilian-bossa rhythms with classic vocal samba, transporting listeners back to the vibrant Rio de Janeiro of the 1960s. Comprising drummer and vocalist Wilson Das Neves and guitarist Neco, The Ipanemas played a pivotal role in popularising bossa nova in the 1950s. Collaborating with Brazilian luminaries like Elis Regina and Antonio Carlos Jobim, they bridged jet-set bossa with the roots-y samba of the black Brazilian working class and this is a great introduction to their work if you aren't familiar.
Review: A whole bunch of Weldon Irvine albums are being remastered and reissued at the moment, which will be music to the ears of spiritual jazz fans - literally. The American composer and pianists was one of the big names of his time and reals don labels like RCA and Strata-East as well as his own label. Young Gifted & Broke has never been on vinyl before as the recordings were only discovered in the early 2010s. It was a musical that was released in 1977 and inspired by the Black Civil Rights anthem 'Young, Gifted and Black,' which Weldon had written with Nina Simone. Talents like Marcus Miller joined the recordings which as can now be heard are magnificent to say the least.
Review: In 1977, American jazz composer, pianist and organist Weldon Irvine helped create the musical Young, Gifted & Broke, which was in part inspired by Aretha Franklin's 1969 anthem 'Young, Gifted & Black' - a song whose lyrics were penned by none other than Weldon. Irvine was naturally responsible for the writing the soundtrack, which was recorded at the time but only released for the first time 12 years ago. It's an exceptional set all told, joining the dots between jazz, Blaxploitation funk, soul and gospel, with inspired instrumentals sitting side by side with songs that showcase the talents of both the lead characters and a talented chorus of backing singers.
Review: This 1999 album by Weldon Irvine landed well with his fans upon the time of release but it was really boosted dint popular conciseness and gained renewed recognition with the rise of the hip-hop scene and the rare groove movement in the 90s and beyond. It has been sampled by all the greats from those worlds and has made it onto albums by Q-Tip and Mos Def. Now, for the first time ever, P-VINE is releasing this historically significant work on LP as the original CD has become hard to find.
Review: Ishmael Ensemble's third album, Rituals, marks a major evolution for the Bristol-based group. While often associated with the 'new UK jazz' scene, their fusion of live instrumentation and electronic elements extends far beyond that label in truth and now this release pushes their sound further than ever. It blends spiritual jazz, dub, experimental, and electronic styles into powerful, swirling soundscapes that work as well on the head as they do heel. The tracks are more notably song-focused and accessible but still deal in a psychedelic mix of textures, colours, and moods. Rituals is a truly boundary-pushing work of great ambition and is this vital group's best work to date.
Tell Me When You Need It Again (part 1 & 2) (4:59)
Climbin' Up The Ladder (part 1 & 2) (6:36)
Voyage To Atlantis (4:25)
Livin' In The Life (4:14)
Go For Your Guns (2:15)
Review: Go For Your Guns by The Isley Brothers was originally released in 1977 and now gets reissued by Music On Vinyl on lovely translucent blue wax in limited quantities. Spanning over eight decades, The Isley Brothers boast one of the most enduring and diverse careers in music history. Originating as a trio in 1954 from Cincinnati, Ohio, the group, comprising O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph, and Ronald Isley, has sold over 18 million records in the U.S. alone. Their 15th album, Go For Your Guns, soared to No. 1 on Billboard's Top Soul chart and No. 6 on the Billboard 200. Notably, it features 'Footsteps In The Dark,' sampled by Ice Cube for his hit 'It Was A Good Day,' which itself reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-hop Songs chart.
Review: Craft Latino celebrates Fania Records' 60th anniversary with a reissue of Ismael Rivera's fifth solo album, Traigo de Todo, which was originally released in 1974 on Tico Records. It is an album that showcases Rivera at his best and features iconic tracks like the lively 'El Nazareno' and the rather more sultry 'Que te pasa a ti.' Rivera's smooth, smoky voice is the heart of each track but contrasts perfectly with lively clave rhythms. He often delivers potent messages with his lyrics that touch on empowerment of the social as well as personal kind, always with great immediacy. This special reissue includes 180-gram black vinyl, with lacquers cut from the original tapes by the revered Kevin Gray.
Review: Watarase: Voice is a fantastic second release in this series following Fumio Itabashi's acclaimed Watarase: Echo. This new compilation serves up vocal versions of the masterpiece 'Watarase' featuring a range of artists including jazz vocalist Shigeo Maruyama, Korean folk singer Lee Jung Mi and Japanese vocalist Yuki Kaneko. The album focuses on previously unreleased tracks and showcases the global influence of the original and also includes the long-awaited complete version of 'Symphonic Poem 'Watarase,'" a key piece in the story of this beloved work. This is a great testament to 40 years of history and the enduring legacy of Itabashi's jazz artistry.
Review: Oli Heffernan's ever-evolving project, Ivan The Tolerable, joins Riot Season for two captivating albums that explore the beauty of entropic drift. Recorded swiftly as a quintet, Heffernan enlisted Christian Alderson on drums, John Pope on double bass, Kevin Nickles on flute and saxophone and Ben Hopkinson on electric piano. The first album was Vertigo, a dense and disorienting work reminiscent of Sun Ra meets Exploding Star Orchestra. In contrast, Water Music evokes serene landscapes with sounds of waves, creaking hulls, and gentle winds, blending influences from Laraaji and Natural Information Society. Bob Fischer of Electronic Sound Magazine describes Water Music as a "beautifully soothing psychedelic jazz album" perfect for a summer daydream.
Review: The second album from Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith on ECM is a meditation on resilience, sorrow and the human condition. Across four expansive tracks on Defiant Life, Iyer's piano and Fender Rhodes intertwine with Smith's haunting trumpet to create a soundscape that's both urgent and serene. From the solemn depth of 'Sumud' to the shimmering melancholy of 'Floating River Requiem' and the radiant close of 'Procession: Defiant Life' notions of suffering, resistance and hope are explored. The record was recorded in Lugano and produced by Manfred Eicher. It's a deeply reflective work of emotional and spiritual resonance.
Marqueza Mercado - "Cumbia En El Magdalena" (3:34)
Marqueza Mercado - "Mujer Costena" (3:47)
Marqueza Mercado - "Que No Muera El Folclor" (2:36)
Review: In 2019, Resistencia Sonora was born as a collaborative project uniting urban and rural ethnic-peasant resistances in Montes de Maria, Colombia's western Caribbean. Rooted in a musical epicentre renowned for gaita, cumbia, bullerengue, son palenque, son de negro and accordion styles like porros and pajaritos, the initiative celebrates and preserves the region's rich folkloric life. This album documents festive gatherings, knowledge exchange and co-creation inspired by composer Andres Narvaez, a social leader and land-rights activist. His vision brought musicians together to uphold traditions and honour regional elders and this limited edition vinyl includes a 12-page bilingual booklet with extra background.
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