Review: 'Suite For Chick' is a heartfelt tribute to the late jazz legend Chick Corea. This 12" was assembled to reimagine classics like 'City Gate, Rumble,' 'Time Track,' 'Hymn of the Heart' and Return to Forever's 'Romantic Warrior.' It finds Bangkok-based Maarten Goetheer collaborating with Thailand's jazz virtuoso Pong Nakornchai and blending Wurlitzer chords, Moog basslines, ARP leads and Rhodes phasings. Inspired by his jazz-pianist father, Maarten fuses classic jazz with modern genres like techno, cosmic disco and ambient for a fresh take on jazz fusion. These electrifying interpretations honour Corea's pioneering legacy in jazz and fusion from his groundbreaking work with Miles Davis to founding Return to Forever.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: New York producer P-Sol has hit on a super effective formula for starting the party, stitching together a selection of familiar samples and hooks, adding some beautifully dusty breaks and adding a final sheen of shiny production skills. Both sides of this 7" have a touch of raw 'two turntables' action about them, while remaining impeccably constructed and tight, with the A-side 'This Way' proving to be the slightly speedier and slightly more funk/r&b-flavoured, while 'Breathe & Stop (Abstract Blend)' is the one for the pure hip-hop heads. Both, however, are dynamite in the box, needless to say.
Espantapajaros (feat La Perla - Poirer remix) (4:36)
Flor De Jazmin (feat Paz Court - John Beltran remix) (4:40)
Review: Pahua is a Mexican singer, percussionist, DJ and producer who was once part of the Sotomayor band but went solo in 2020. Her sound is steeped in Latin influences and resulted in a debut album in 2023 and she recently landed on Razor-N-Tape with some tracks that now get remixed on this new 7". First up is 'Espantapajaros' (feat La Perla - Poirer remix) which is a mix of deep drums and synths with some florid flutes up top to bring the colour and charm. On the flip side is 'Flor De Jazmin' (feat Paz Court - John Beltran remix) which layers in some lovely sunny melodies to the shuffling samba rhythms and expressive vocals.
Review: Pale Jay's latest LP Bewilderment spawns two more treasure here on this new and essential 7" from Karma Chief Records. Up first is an Afro-beat tinged cut, 'In Your Corner' with a subtly uplifting rhythm although listen deeper and you'll get locked in to the lyrics which detail an internal struggle for self-acceptance. On the flip is the album title cut which showcase Jay's signature sounds - silky falsetto over soulful harmonies and dusty hip-hop beats. This one also tell a story, this time about the breakdown of a family and the journey into self that ensues.
Review: Pale Jay's latest album, Bewilderment, is once again picked apart for this new single package on Karma Chief. It features two cuts from a record which again showcased his ability to craft rich sonic tapestries that are a mix of pure bliss and deep introspection. If you haven't heard it, you should, and you will want to after hearing these two singles. The A-side is a slow disco gem for extroverts and the flip has a lovely falsetto vocal over some nice and dusty rhythms. It's got pulsing bass but laid back groove and is a perfect soul sound for those who like to dream.
Review: Fresh from dropping another essential seven-inch with his regular Sound Combo band, Misha Paniflov has joined forces with fellow multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee for a string of collaborative singles. This "45" sports two genuinely impressive cuts, each full to bursting with quality live instrumentation. It opens with 'Sigmund Jahn Bossa', a superb fusion of late 1960s library jazz (think Roy Budd's score for Get Carter and you're in the right ballpark), bustling bossa-nova and spiralling psych-funk. Over on the flip the pair continue to deliver lounge, influenced, tongue-in-cheek thrills via the cheap, Sideman drum machine rhythms, tumbling guitars, elongated Hammond organ chords and hazy backing vocals of 'Aquaria'.
Review: Italian pianist and composer Paolo first came to light during the acid jazz explosion in the early 90s. Largely overlooked by his UK counterparts, his Trio's albums Do It and Ombre are both well worthy investments for any funk fans. As is "Chameleon". Delivered in two parts, both jams are tighter than a bouncer's crotch squeeze and about a million times funkier. "Part 2" pips it for a highlight thank to its leniency towards sultry wig out territory. Lovely stuff.
Review: The Paradise Projex is a UK group that says they make "music with friends old and new." And that music is stylistically a balance of old and new, as this first EP from the new Expansion signings shows. It has slick modern production but a classic soul vibe over lush jazz drumming, with plenty of glowing and golden synths. The vocal work is buttery smooth and spreading positive messages of love. 'Feels Like Home' is all swooning grooves and beautiful harmonies, 'For This Love' has a Stevie Wonder feel and 'One Mind,Two Hearts' is life affirming dance floor goodness. 'With You' ends on a more pensive note and closes a fantastic EP.
Review: The Paradise Projex was created by ex-music director Phil Edwards and is a showcase of his years of experience as a musician, songwriter and producer. Combining soulful sounds with creative innovation, the project embraces an inclusive approach that leans on music's ability to unite minds across continents, cultures and even generations. This month sees the release of their new album I Am You, which includes the single 'Here & Now' and is a former number one on the UK Soul Breakers chart. Next to that comes this special 7" including two vinyl exclusives - 'Magic Night' and 'Someone Like You' are fine soul, nu-jazz and broken beat twisters.
Review: Detroit innovator and singular soundsmith Theo Parrish returns with a new EP which we're told is his response to "stagnation and nonmovement" either physiologically, mentally or physically. 'Positive Mental Attitude Solves All' is up first and is a tribute to the late great funk-father Amp Fiddler. It's a typically deep cut with dusty drums and irregular, scruffy percussive lines layered in next to diffuse synth warmth and soulful melodies. 'Traffic Jams' plays with similar signature themes and is sure to loosen up mind, body and soul. Another standout bit of work from the venerable Motor City man.
Dreamers Blues (Percussion By Jerry The Cat) (10:39)
Lost Angel (9:33)
Review: On his latest expansive double-pack, Theo Parrish has decided to dip into his epic back catalogue. The four featured tracks are taken from two sought-after, hard to find EPs released in 1997 and 2001 respectively. Opener 'Smile' is arguably one of the Detroiter's most magnificent musical moments of all time: an epic slab of drowsy Motor City deep house built around idiosyncratic drum programming, ultra-deep chords, toasty bass and an effects-laden vocal snippet. 'Lost Keys' is a breezier and looser affair marked out by Latin style piano motifs, jazzy house beats and tactile bass, while 'Dreamer's Blues' is a languid, percussion-and-electric piano rich number that tends towards the hazy and jazzy. Finally, 'Lost Angel' is an ultra-deep affair whose spacey chords seem to stretch out eternity.
Review: DJ Slow, JA-Jazz, and Jame Spectrum may not be household names across the world, but those who follow Pepe Deluxe seem willing to follow them to the ends of multiple sonic spectrums, and then push through into the Other Side together. The trio, better known as Finnish electronic music obscuros Pepe Deluxe, have been making beats and other pieces since around 1996, first garnering a name for themselves with an infectious combination of hip hop, breakbeat, downtempo and big beat.By 2007, when they released their third album, Spare Time Machine, the remit had changed, slightly, and was less interested in sampling, more concerned with revitalising old school music genres like psyche, baroque pop and surf rock. Freedom Flag brings us up to date, circa 2024, and it seems there's enough room for both approaches, with this two-tracker rooted in everything from trip hop to brass-topped indie.
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: Two stone cold legends on one unforgettable 45": Courtney and Omar build on their recent Black Notes From The Deep live collaborations with a stunning original and killer cover. "Rules" is a funk-based track that jumps and sizzles with a fresh contemporary energy that you might not expect from either party while "Butterfly" pays a very special homage to another stone cold legend Herbie Hancock. A beautiful release. You might say there's nothing like it.
Review: Parisian producer Leo Pol is back after a great release on Velvet back in 2014 that showed his potential to create some deep, dusty and totally tripped out house for the afterhours, particularly on the Le Chat Qui Danse EP. He now inaugurates local label IILE (a sublabel of Uniile) with some more hypnotic subtlety; even if it is tougher and faster than his previous effort. There's the opener "2 La Deep De Bretagne" which really rolls deep. "Korben Dallas" gets its swing on in infectious fashion, much like local homeboy Varhat can. On the flip, he teams up with Marc on "21" for a bumpy and minimal jam while closing out the EP is the absolutely sublime "Parking" which is sexy and summery and has a certain DJ Gregory flavour about it.
Review: Rocafort Records took a trip to LA last summer to meet Dan Ubick, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and DJ who is also an original member of Breakestra and founding member of reggae bands The Lions and Night Owls. They decided to hook up on this project which he devised as a couple of instrumentals which then changed form and became the Brazilian-inspired hip-hop sounds you can hear on this 7". Percussion player Bobby Easton, singer Diana Purim and Sadat X from NYC's Brand Nubian also helped add some extra colour.
Review: Proh Mic delivers his best work with this new single which sets the stage for an upcoming album that is sure to once more invite us deep into his unique disco-funk world. 'Special Request' is a dance floor anthem but also a tribute to the DJ that is sure to become a Modern funk classic. Produced by Liquid Pegasus, it's a party starter with funky-ass drums and big, irresistible claps under a retro-future vocal. The B-side, 'Free To Be', features Proh Mic singing and rapping about staying authentic in a world that tries to dull our shine. With soulful production by Vitamin D, the track blends fun with deep, life-affirming lyrics and has a truly timeless edge.
Review: A stunning showcase of Pu Poo Platter's ability to craft infectious, captivating grooves, Funk Night Records proves again here that is never disappoints in delivering top-tier funk from all eras. The A-side, 'Pbppbp,' features loose, live-sounding drum breaks paired with haunting chords creating an eerie, late-night vibe, complemented by soulful guitar lines. On the B-side, 'Pbpbppbb' slows things down with a laid-back groove, offering a relaxed, rolling rhythm enhanced by exquisite keys and smooth chords. This 7" is a perfect blend of energy and soul.
Review: You can never go wrong with the music put out by US label Funk Night. It covers all aspects of funk from across the ages and here we have some hot shit from Pu Poo Platter. First up on the highly effective 7" is 'Pbppbp' with its loose, rolling, live-sounding drum breaks and rather haunting chords which bring an eerie late night edge next to the soulful guitar lines which worm in and out. 'Pbpbppbb' then cuts back and chills you out with a more lazy rolling groove and some exquisite keys and chords.
Review: Chad Pulley makes his first solo appearance on John Beltran's All Good Music label, although keener eyed spotters will know that Pulley and Beltran previously collaborated on a track under the Bel-Pull Productions moniker. He steps up to the task ably, slipping into All Good style comfortably with the calm and melodic, gracefully coasting techno of 'Through My Eyes', before the flip side reveals the wistful 'Mesmerizing Blue', where pianos and synths call and respond over exotic rhythms. 'Sticks' completes the set, slightly harder and funkier than its two predecessors but again with an emphasis on musicality, off kilter danceability and originality. On this showing, a name to watch.
Review: Of all the seas in the world, the Indian Ocean is up there with those that invoke the greatest sense of mystery. Filling the rather big bit between East Africa, South East Asia, Australia and Oceana, it's a vast expanse of water known for deceptively dangerous paradise islands, political uncertainty, incredible natural beauty and a somewhat wild west (or east?) seafaring culture. It's a place that feels far less familiar to us here in Britain even than the Pacific, and as such a record that looks to interpret cultures and scenes from this watery region is always going to be intriguing. This is the second thematic volume in the Aquapelagos series, split LPs that focus on societies surrounded by waves, and the communities therein. Mike Cooper and Pierre Bastien's interpretation of the Indian Ocean is mesmerising, and often sounds isolated, hypnotic noises ebbing and flowing, distant calls, percussive details, 'atmos' of bird sounds, oscillations, high pitched feedback. A place that is serene and yet disturbed, often by distinctly human elements.
Review: Resonance is the superb new album from Essa and Pitch 92. Essa is something of a veteran who back in the early part of this millennium was putting out tunes under the name Yungun. He is a Londoner and lawyer who played a key part in the UK's golden hip-hop era and picked up props for his work from dons like Nas while also working with De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, Guru, Slum Village and Pharoahe Monch. This record taps into that time with its soul-drenched, low-slung and late-night beats, specially and politically aware lyrics and gorgeous samples. A contemporary classic steeped in authenticity.
Review: Over the years, Sam Shepheard's work as Floating Points has become increasingly ambitious, moving further away from his dancefloor roots and closer to spiritual jazz, new age and neo-classical. Even so, it was still a surprise when Shepheard announced Promises, a 46-minute piece in 10 "movements" featuring the London Symphony Orchestra and legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. It's an undeniably remarkable piece all told; a constantly evolving fusion of neo-classical ambience, spiritual jazz and starry, synthesizer-laden soundscapes notable not only for Sanders' sublime sax-playing and Shepheard's memorable melodic themes, but also the intricate, detailed nature of the musical arrangements. It's a stunningly beautiful and life-affirming piece all told, and one that deserves your full attention.
Review: Last October, acclaimed saxophonist Pharoah Sanders turned 80 years young, and his input on this album is testimony to the fact he has clearly aged like a fine wine. Not that this is to suggest preceding outings were anything less worthy than this collaborative project, which sees Sam Shepherd, the British electronic artist better known to most as Floating Points, write nine spectacular arrangements which are then performed by said brass legend, alongside The London Symphony Orchestra.
The results are spectacular, and wildly far-reaching, albeit firmly rooted in jazz with classical undertones. From the movements that made this final cut, some are whisper quiet and delicate to the point of risking breaking off if you were handling haphazardly. Others are booming loud, musical jumbo jets landing at the end of another great crescendo. Whether hushed or monumental, though, we can feel every note and bar of this masterpiece.
Review: L.A. songwriter, producer, and performer Jerry Paper, also known as Lucas Nathan, is back with a rather impressive tenth studio album, INBETWEEZER. This new and vital collection features a blend of crooning rockers and bubble-pop jams that do a good job of showcasing the artist's playful and experimental spirit. The album delves into complex emotions as he embarks on a journey of "radical growth" through therapy and ultimately discovers the path to becoming a therapist. Each track grapples with themes of change, unlearning past behaviours and the continuous cycle of personal development. As such this is more than just a good listen is a thought-provoking work that prompts lots of inward reflection as you experience the artist's introspective exploration and joyful creativity.
Don't You Forget (feat Lilja Bloom & Anduze) (3:24)
Fade To Red (feat Esches) (3:13)
Number One MC (3:51)
Go Wake Up (feat Lilja Bloom) (2:54)
The Fall (feat Lilja Bloom) (2:57)
Review: Parov Stelar is an acclaimed Austrian musician who was born Marcus Fuereder and is often said to be the founder of a sound known as electro swing. It has taken him all over the world and earned him hundreds of millions of YouTube views and Spotify streams. This is his 10th full length and is a collection of the EPs he has put out over the last year. The music is playful, big swinging and designed to get crowds spinning. The album features the single 'Brass Devil, which reached top spot on the iTunes Electronic charts in the US, as well as the previously unreleased 'Sophie And the Hacker'.
Programming/Unauthorized Procedure/Criminal Drug Evasion
Soul Control/Quarter Run (feat Alena Waters)
Synthetic Flemm
Galactic Ancestors
Flotation Device/Fear Or Laziness?
Laziness (feat Amp Fiddler)
Fear
Usually Suspected/The Quest (feat Amp Fiddler)
Second Chances (feat Monica Blaire)
Space Cowboys & The Interplanetary Gangster Edit
Review: Theo Parrish's masterful Sound Sculptures Vol 1 on triple LP format gets a timely repressing!! In total here there are 9 of the 27 tracks from the full double CD version but these still run the gamut of Theo's inimitable talents, from rough and tumble disco edits to saccharine soul, raw beatdown and leftfield esoterica. Be sure to check the Omar S- featuring "Synthetic Flemm" and long time Juno favourite "Flotation Device". If ever there was a selection of tracks that fully showcased the incredible breadth of production talent this man has, this is it. Not to be missed!
Review: Theo Parrish is giving his new album with Maurissa Rose the full treatment - serving it up on his preferred vinyl, but also as a CD and here a cassette on his own label Sound Signature. It is a complete coming together of these two revered Detroit musical talents following a string of great singles with one another since 2019. As you can expect, the grooves are dusty, complex and rooted in house but with plenty of influences from soul, funk and jazz. The vocals from Rose are as smooth as you like and take the form of soulful streams of consciousness. Utterly vital.
Review: Portuguese multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ Pedro Ricardo serves up his debut album here and it is a thrilling fusions of sounds. He draws on his many different skills and loves and collides jazz, traditional Portuguese folk and fresh electronica into a journey that is bold, adventurous and draws on themes of love, longing and nostalgia. The percussion throughout is truly vibrant, the vocals are whispered and subtle and the keys soar next to delicate guitars. You won't have heard an album as free in expression as this for a while.
Review:
Piotr Rajski is also known as Pepe and Escapism is his second album. As with the first, it's a hard to easily define and categorise album with multiple genres and in between sounds all poking through the beats. It was written during the peak months of pandemic and writing much became a form of escape for the artist. The record has a more vibrant, colour and vivid feel than the first, and has a dreamy vibe that sure is good at taking your mind away from the here and now with broken beat, hip hop, jazz, funk and more informing its grooves.
Algiers (LP2: Jondy - BBC Maida Vale Session) (9:46)
DMT Song (1:26)
Eclipses (6:54)
The Garden (7:10)
Review: Austin Peralta's 2011 album Endless Planets has never before been available on vinyl and now gets pressed up as a special Deluxe Edition by Brainfeeder. Peralta really crafted something special here when the label made its first moves into the world of jazz. He is a prodigious piano-playing talent who uses that as a vehicle for his inquisitive futurism while never forgetting the heritage of original jazz. In this special version, four previously unreleased tracks are unveiled. Among them is a live rendition of 'DMT Song' from FlyLo's 2012 album 'Until the Quiet Comes,' which Austin collaborated on. Wonderful stuff.
Review: The Moving Music label continues to unearth some ridiculously odd and inspired Norwegian movie soundtracks. Their latest is taken from 1978's Operasjon Cobra, a "youth movie" with a plot that involves a group of Oslo teenagers foiling a terror plot. The soundtrack, which appears to be one of the first to be completed by obscure Norwegian composer (and former prog rocker) Pete Knutsen, flits between Blaxploitation-inspired jazz-funk, cheery, horn-and-Clavinet-heavy post-disco instrumentals, experimental jazz, creepy synthesizer soundscapes, jazz guitar-rich ambient and heavy funk-rock. Throughout, the production is admirably lo-fi, with Knutsen keeping the tracks largely free of effects or post-production trickery.
Review: Saxophonist Leon Phal is back with a first album for Heavenly Sweetness that bridges nightclub and jazz club culture. Following 2021's Dust to Stars, this LP showcases his unique style within the French new jazz scene and finds him joined by his quintet: Arthur Alard on drums, Remi Bouyssiere on double bass, Gauthier Toux on keyboards and Zacharie Ksyk on trumpet. Entirely crafted with traditional jazz instrumentation, Stress Killer blends jazz and electronic influences with tracks like 'Fuck Yeah' nodding to Detroit techno and Chicago house. Highlights include vocal features from K.O.G. and Lorine Chia, an inventive take on Coltrane's 'Naima', and reflective moments like 'Clarity'.
Review: Kampala's Nyege Nyege is no longer a niche name in electronic music, having risen to become Africa's most prominent stable for experimental synthesised tracks, carving out not necessarily a sound - artists and albums vary pretty wildly - but a kind of aesthetic which, once recognised, can usually be identified in most output. Of course, there's a problem there, with so much light now being shone on Uganda and the label itself, meaning so much else is missed from nearby countries, let alone this vast continent. Nevertheless, all that attention is not without good reason, and this collaboration between Durban, South Africa-based gqom futurists Phelimuncasi and abstract sound system crew Metal Preyers is a case in point. At once rooted in authentic African dance genres, and yet staunchly determined to reconfigure them, it's pretty much unlike anything you'll hear this week/month/year.
Review: Although short on vinyl releases - this, we think, is his first - Matthew Gordon has been making music as Pie Eye Collective for some time, releasing solo productions via digital platforms and contributing to Emma Thackray's WALRUS project. Gordon could well be a star in the making though because Salvation - his first full-length proper - is genuinely excellent. White rooted in broken beat, instrumental hip-hop and the hazier, slower end of UK bass, the album's appeal in part stems from the dreaminess of his electronic chords, the beauty of his synthesizer sounds, and the crackling haziness of the saturated tape sounds Gordon loves adding to productions. We're not quite sure where his sound sits, but the music on offer is genuinely brilliant. We await his next steps with keen interest.
Review: Enji and Popp are Squama label regulars of and here they unite for their debut LP, Nant, under the Poeji alias. It finds them expanding beyond post-dub and downtempo and building on their 2022 EP, 031921 5.24 5.53, which was a limited run of dubplates, to showcase their innovation in the studio. The duo employs minimal initial ideas and relies on non-verbal cues to shape their sound in the studio and Enji's vocals, subtly integrated with reverb and guitar effects, complement Popp's intricate use of wooden and metal percussion perfectly. It's layered with tape echoes and analogue delays so Nant offers great moments of fleeting musical beauty.
Review: Outside of jazz-fusion circles, violinist and composer Jean-Luc Ponty is best known for two things: embracing synthesizers and electronic instruments (including electric violin) earlier than his peers, and playing a small but significant role in inspiring some of Detroit techno's earliest innovators. This double disc set rounds up three of the albums that proved most inspirational to electronic musicians. Disc one sports 1987's warm, colourful and mesmerising The Gift of Time - where, fittingly, Ponty's ability to create surprising and intense off-kilter dancefloor workouts was first noticed by adventurous DJs - and 1989's Storytelling, which kicks off with his most famous work: the awe-inspiring 'In The Fast Lane'. Over on disc two, we get 1991's Tchokola, an inspired mix of fusion, Afrobeat and Zouk flavours that has long been a favourite amongst Balearic silverbacks.
Review: Matthew Halsall founded Gondwana Records in 2008. An independent label based in Manchester, it's gone on to release music by Dwight Trible, GoGo Penguin, Nat Birchall and Halsall himself. The label has won acclaim across the world and can claim the likes of Gilles Peterson, Mr Scruff and Bonobo as fans. Next up are the Mercury Prize nominated Portico Quartet with their powerful new album Art In The Age Of Automation: where they're now rebooted as a quartet after a brief spell as the three-piece Portico. They have always been an impossible band to pin down; taking in aspects of jazz, electronica, ambient music and minimalism but the group have undoubtedly crafted their own singular sound. There's the dashing and cinematic bliss of "Objects To Place In A Tomb" and the hypnotic live drum and bass of "A Luminous Beam" amongst other highlights.
Review: For their latest new album on Gondwana, and seventh full length overall, Portico Quartet draw on American minimalism and ambient music genres as well the work of the cult Japanese composer Midori Takada. They composed and recorded most of it last year and it features three movements of their typically elegant and graceful sounds. The tracks are all built around central, repeating tenets which weave in and out of one another to hypnotic and beautiful effect. Often reaching for the cosmos, the delicate drumming and serene pads all instantly grab your attention and then take you on beautifully immersive rides.
Review: POSY's full-length debut The Garden is such a lush and organised soundscape that it really lives up to its tranquil title. Emerging from the Pacific Northwest, POSY is a multi-instrumentalist who crafted the album using analogue gear and traditional studio setups to create a warm, rich sound. The album's title is inspired by a real garden - a place of solace where the artist overcame writer's block by recording voice notes that they later refined in the studio. Influenced by artists like Yuseff Dayes and KIEFER, The Garden blends jazz, funk and downtempo with gems like 'All The Time' and collaborations with vocalists SAiGO and Jennyfire helping it to really stand out.
Review: Potatohead People have got many classic joints in their arsenal and have worked with legends like Illa J and Slum Village's T3. Their Nick & Astro's Guide To The Galaxy album is another seminal record from the Canadian duo which saw them work with Vancouver producers and multi-instrumentalists Nick Wisdom and Astrological. It comes on red and black splatter vinyl and features plenty of signature boom-bap produciton, future soul vibes and classic jazz references as well as deep house, boogie and funk overtones to make it rhythmically playful and stylishly diverse, but unified by the superb mic work.
Secret Mission (feat Frank Nitt & Reggie B) (3:31)
Everything U Need (feat Kendra Dias) (3:24)
For The Soul (feat Moka Only) (3:01)
Review: Cult Vancouver duo Potatohead People, which is of course made up of Nick Wisdom and AstroLogical, finally make their return to Bastard Jazz with their much anticipated fourth album, Eat Your Heart Out. It is another great icing that builds on their renowned clean and musical production and finds the pair once again showing off their skills as vocalists, songwriters, and musicians. Over the last decade, they've been revered for their production sensibilities and that doesn't change as with each track they coop up intricate beats with jazzy melodies, summery vibes and plenty of hooky motifs that come with great guest spots from the likes of Shafiq Husayn & Ivan Ave, Kapok and many more.
Review: Since he first emerged on Diagonal a decade ago, Powell has been associated with abstract rhythms, hard-edged electronics, modular madness and fearsome experimentation. Piano Music 1-7, then, is something of a departure: a set that's as equally as inspired by piano jazz and neo-classical musical movements as fractured electronica and the Radiophonic Workshop. Of course, this is not piano music in the Nils Frahm sense - much of the actual piano motifs are delivered on lo-fi keyboards and synthesizers, while his fluid, attractive and ultra-melodic refrains come wrapped in studio effects and occasional electronic textures. A great example of this hybrid sound is 'Piano Music 4' - all alien electronics, woozy piano riffs and unsettling experimental intent, while the raw beauty of shimmering ambient number 'Piano Music 7' is simply sublime.
Review: Bruno Pronsato has always operated at the fringes of the electronic world and draws as much from the inventiveness of jazz as anything else. Now he is back with a new album Rare Normal that is his most adventurous and ambitious yet, and it was made at a time that he was, we're told, "immersed in the work of Charles Ives" and that the eight tracks are a result of him experimenting with mixing dissonance and consonance, tone rows and twelve-tone theory. The result is deft and abstract minimalism with supple rhythms that rise and fall next to mending pads and deft sampled vocal whispers. Its intimate and late night and hella moving given how quiet and unassuming it is overall.
Review: In Praise Of Shadows is an essay on Japanese aesthetics by the Japanese author and novelist Jun'ichiro Tanizaki. It is also the name of Puma Blue's debut album, and one that won widespread critical acclaim. Following its release comes this new collection of b-sides and live versions that is sure to win fans over. Like the original album, it showcases his next-level production style with plenty of bedroom intimacy as the tunes are taken from rehears for the live shows in 2021. This is a great way to experience these sounds with a full band arrangement.
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