Bastard Jazz US レコード& CD

Review: We've been steadily teased by Bastard Jazz with a slow flow of singles but the time has come to reveal B Bravo's whole debut album... And he hasn't disappointed. A supreme cosmic boogie experience throughout, Bravo flexes around the funk/house/hip-hop axis with sunshine synths, loose swinging drums, heavyweight talkbox action and oodles of funk and timely displays of sensitivity. Highlights that really showcase the soul spectrum B Bravo explores range from the Chromeo-style party jam "I'm For Real" to the horn-hazed tinkling "LA Nights" to the dreamy west coast house struts and wriggles of "Summer Love". Sure fire summer silver lining.

Review: Adam Mori aka B.Bravo is back like a thick gush of smoke filling up the dance floor, and the Brownswood-Bleep associate is in no mood to wait till the warm up set is done. These two new smokers for the Bastard Jazz imprint are pure class, every bit as sexy and seductive as we've come to expect from the producer, starting with the sultry claps and bass of the excellent "Im For Real", a sun-scorched killer of a tune, fit for riding shotgun and turing the rooftop down. On the flipside, Mr Carmack detunes "Stay The Night" down to a funky, mid-tempo level, and it's just about the grooviest of boogie tracks that we've heard in a while. Think Daft Punk meets Willie Hutch. Wonderful.

Review: 2017 was the year that electronic wonk-funk saw its heyday, and uncoincidentally, it was also the year that B. Bravo (Adam Mori) saw the release of his first album 'Paradise'. 2022 is the year the genre should make a comeback, after just five years. If such were to be the case, Bravo's second album 'Vizionz' would be the catalyst. Charting collaborations with rapper Def Sound and singer Sally Green, this one points towards only the best detuned sonics, synth bass licks and Miami heat-hazed vizionz.

Review: Steel City electro-funk wizard BusCrates shows that not only American counterparts like Dam Funk can lay down seductive funk smoochers with his second full-length album, Control Center. Soraya Watti is on hand to provide smooth and soulful tones on 'On My Way', the only track with a voice, and its beautifully downbeat gem that harks back to classic Erykah Badu tunes from days gone by. Elsewhere there are whimsical synth laced daydreams like 'Four Track Mind' and sax-led slow motion funk wigglers like 'Prisms'. It's a gorgeous album for both background play and up front listens.

Review: Teasing us with the long-awaited arrival of his second album Esperanto Slang, the masked funkateer known simply as Captain Planet reconnects with Brit Lauren on In The Gray. Both original and instturmental versions are mildly skanking poplets that ooze contemporary soul panache thanks to the bright instrumentation and in the case of the A Side OG version infectious hookiness. Flip for the dub; a bubbly jam that bounces on a tightly coiled groove. There's nothing grey about this release.

Review: Captain Planet is a globe trotting DJ and producer who mixes up worldly roots music with his own fresh take on hip-hop and dancehall. For this one he joined up with Zuzuka Poderosa & Raphael Futura for a brilliant Brazilian disco and funk song that harks back to the 70s and 80s with influences like Tim Maia, Sandra Da Sa & Gilberto Gil. 'Moqueca' though also has some nice dance floor weight to it as well as the richly tropical percussion, steamy horns and seductive chords. On the flip is an instrumental and the good news is this is a taster of a full album to come.

Review: Brooklyn based Bastard Jazz always come up with the goods. Classy, sophisticated and groove-fuelled breakbeat is their staple sound and the latest Basics EP from Colm K sticks firmly within that remit. "Basics" coaxes us in with a singular key piano melody, providing itself as the platform for the sensually sung vocals from Elaine Dowling. Laid back, sexy and driven by an underlying groove, simplicity is the key here and it's worked to perfection. The Uptown Dub pushes things skyward a notch with electric keys and a speedier rhythm, while Alister Johnson's remix leaves the beat to chug away in the background whilst bringing the vocals right up front. On the flip, the Part Time Heroes & Patchwork Pirates remix speeds things up with a marked BPM increase taking it into a vague drum and bass territory without losing the track's soulful dignity. Jugoe turn on "Basics" house capabilities with a deep bassline, twisted synths and drawn out strings. For the bonus, "Love To Love You" garners downtempo, ultra sexy melodies.

Review: Daniel David (FKA Trailer Limon) makes a great impression on Bastard Jazz with his first solo record. This 7" finds him link with the Jazz Mafia for a feature after he has done plenty of work with the legendary San Francisco duo the Pendletons. Because of that he is credited with helping to kickstart the Bay Area's modern funk resurgence but here he shows he has plenty of his own skills too. 'Tambor De Cura' (with Guinu) is bustling jazz that is vibrant and vivacious with big horns, steamy jungle atmospheres, humid pads, bird calls and many other great details that form a hefty groove. 'Devotion' is then a funky jazz fusion with cosmic pads and lush vocals.

Review: Patrick Wade aka Dead Horse Beats presents the Bad Hopes EP for Brooklyn boutique label Bastard Jazz. In his own words "I live in Montreal. I play several instruments and turn knobs and push buttons and stuff" and that's good enough for us! But for something a bit more in depth, we referred to the label who said he has "garnered attention for his unique brand of hazy, rhythmic, soul-styled creations" and that's a pretty fair observation. Starting out on the A side with the bubbly and blissful synthpop of "She Said" (feat Frase) there's also some sassy R&B flavour on "Young Ruins" featuring his smooth crooning vocals. On the flip, future beats and his pop tendencies collide perfectly on "Dive".

Review: Stark sonic simplicity... The Elder Statesman comprises two brothers Christopher and Daniel Yeabsley. Playing piano and double bass respectively, they're joined by fellow New Zealander Lord Echo on drums and production duties. Between them they have created the beautiful fusion of instrumental jazz and soul that's instantly soothing yet ultimately dancefloor charming. "Montreux Sunrise" is the deeper, smokier of the two while "Trans-Alpine Express" rides with a more persistent percussive message.

Review: The artist also known as Mike Fabulous follows up 2010's Melodies with this equally far-reaching exploration of funk and soul. Less of a curiosity and more of an essentiality; the album tells a tale of modern music through a pair of glasses that belong to someone from the 70s. The best examples of this 40 year spanning sound include the cosmic disco bubbles and jaunty synth quirks of "Digital Haircut", the dubbed out mild skanks and piano-pounds of "Motlen Lava" and the whirling, twirling sub aquatic struts of "Ghost Hands". Curious yet? You should be....

Review: The "Champion Mushroom EP", by The Magic Fly, is a monster dub-disco-breakbeat release that manages to source out original Jamaican deejay vocals and mash them into a hilarious Bill Hicks sample.

Review: Brooklyn's Peter Matson returns to local imprint Bastard Jazz with three original tracks on The Right Way. Matson takes his experience as a DJ and musician to create these club-ready productions, featuring strong African influences for which he is known. On 'Call & Answer' he collaborates with Ibibio Sound Machine, fronted by London-born Nigerian singer Eno Williams for a deep, sunny and uplifting groove that's perfect tackle for the upcoming summer session, backed by a more straight-ahead remix by Faze Action which gets a nu-disco vibe happening, plus more dancefloor dynamics to boot.

Review: Beats are right at the heart of this release on Brooklyn's Bastard Jazz label. This San Francisco producer found his feet under his Dj Centipede alias, putting on the weekly "Change The Beat" parties in his hometown. It's under his Mophono's Halftone Society moniker though that he's really starting to make a big impression, as this quite brilliant and surprising EP proves.
Hunger is the perfect way to get his flavour. Putting the punchy & live sounding drums out front in the mix, he shows off his ways with a beat almost in the same way a jazz quartet might allow the drummer to drop a solo. He lets the sampled brass hits subside and allows himself space to create a drop-dead devastating drum break that will have listeners everywhere undoubtedly comparing him to Dj Shadow (the vibe of Hunger is indeed very similar to the classic break in the middle of "Building Steam..." from Endtroducing).
Elsewhere, Bumps keeps the winning combination of huge drums and sampled brass, this time putting some sax centre stage and creating a lot of fun in the process. Sinicism again "gives the drummer some" in timeless jazz style, dropping down to an accomplished solo before switching rhythms and turning into a perfect hands-in-the-air hip-hop jam. Tru Thoughts and Ninja Tune star Natural Self delivers a remix that concentrates on this section of Sinicism, adding some tasteful sub-bass amongst other things to really bring out the bopping qualities of MHS's original. With a couple of drum-only edits included with the single, you're perfectly placed to marvel in this man's seriously impressive way with a beat. Get in early, there's going to be a lot of buzz this producer very soon.

Review: Following a string of sizzling singles released over the best part of a decade, The Pendletons (AKA E Da Boss of Myron & E fame and Bay Area producer Trailer Limon) has finally got round to recording a debut album. It's something of a slick, soulful and groovy affair, offering a mix of breezy West Coast grooves, sun-kissed instrumentation, snaking horn solos, colourful synthesizer lines and oodles of soul-powered vocals from the group and guests including Howard Johnson, K-Maxx and Gizelle Smith. While it's something of a time capsule, stylistically at least, few do this kind of warm, glassy-eyed nostalgia better. Put it this way: it's every bit as good as we'd hoped for and much more besides.

Review: The Pendletons are keeping the sweet sound of West Coast boogie alive and well. Following their burning hot album drop "2 Steps Away" last year, they're back on Bastard Jazz with a crucial new single that further expands on their insanely funky sound. "Don't Turn Your Back" is a catchy anthem with Rojai on guest duties and so much slick instrumentation you'll find yourself poppin' from the moment the needle drops. On the flip, album track "You Do You" gets the remix treatment from Potatohead People, keeping the Pendletons' funk ethic front and centre but whipping up a sturdier rhythm section for the Howard Johnson-voiced track.

Review: Trailer Limon and E Da Boss (he of Myron & E fame) have been recording as The Pendletons for the best part of a decade, serving up occasional slices of revivalist electrofunk and turn-of-the-'80s soul. They're at it again here, popping up on Bastard Jazz with a double dose of goodness made with the assistance of some of the Bay Area's finest musicians. The headline attraction is undoubtedly the Howard Johnson hook-up "You Do You", a rich and evocative chunk of mid-tempo disco-soul blessed with mix-friendly drum breaks, seductive instrumentation (think glistening funk guitars, toasty bass, punchy horns and fluid pianos) and a slick, smooth lead vocal. "Life To Me", a more sugary affair built around distinctive slap bass, sustained chords, relaxed drums and subtle synth flourishes, is similarly impressive.

Review: Nick Wisdom and AstroLogical's boom-bap boogie project has already been championed hard by the likes of Kaytranada, Nightmares On Wax and Soulection. Reaching album maturity, the Canadian duo paint their broadest picture on Big Luxury, an album that ranges from silky mid-90s west coast hip-hop ("Explosives") to lavish, jazz-maxed Amp Fiddler style future-soul ("Palmreader") via wonked-out broken beat bass ("Luv Ya"). Living up to its name in every way, Potatohead People are effectively celebrating everything that's great about dancefloor music in the last 30 years right here. As a result it will sound great for another 30 years to come.

Review: Nick and Astro, known collectively as Potatohead People, join forces once again on a tantalising teaser 7" from their upcoming album, Eat Your Heart Out'. Featured on 'Paradise' is the highly hyped Canadian artist Diamond Cafe, whose velvety vocals grace this early 80s-inspired blend of digital sex funk that will remind you of Sade, El Debarge, and Prefab Sprout. Describing his music as "bathing in a cloud of honey on a very foggy night," Diamond Cafe's performance is nothing short of magic here. On the flipside, Nick Wisdom puts his spin on the track, infusing it with dub elements and enhancing the bassline.

Review: 'Baby Got Work' was one of many highlights from Vancouver twosome Potatohead People's 2020 album Mellow Fantasy, a smorgasbord of jazz-funk, hip-hop and nu-jazz fusion. Wisely Bastard Jazz Recordings have decided to release it as a single, pairing the duo's superb original - a summery slab of righteous, sing-along hip-hop/soul/jazz-funk fusion featuring vocals from Kapok and De La Soul's Posdnous - with a fresh collaborative rework by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Bugz In The Attic alumnus Kaidi Tatham. Their version subtly re-casts the track as a more colourful slab of hip-hop soul, complete with fresh scratches (courtesy of Jazzy Jeff) and some seriously spacey synths.

Review: Launched in 2012 with Tall Black Guy on selection duties, and followed a year later by Teeko & B Bravo, Bastard Jazz's Tempo Dreams series is revitalised after a two year break by none other than Soul Clap. Exploring their most cosmic, outer planetary funk collection (and throwing in a few of their own productions), it's every bit as deeply dug and leftfield as you'd hope it to be... From the spoken twisted romance and synth noodles of J Loverman's "Life Unlimited" to the squidgy Morgan Geist-style NY electro boogie of Soul Clap's very own "So Sedated" via the tripped out slo-mo dark soul of Inkswel's "Jade Skyline", the Boston boys have created a collection that compounds their already established and highly respected roots.

Review: You know what a tempo dream is, right? It's when you dream you're playing the biggest gig of your life, you've dropped the best record you have in your bag, and you've dropped it at the wrong ruddy speed! Easily the worse dream since that one where you're naked with your mother in law, and twice as realistic. Everyone has their own version. Mercifully, Tall Black Guy has much nicer, more melodic, soulful, psychedelic tempo dreams where all records are played at the right speed and sound pretty much devine. Instrumental hip-hop with lashing of somnambulant soul and fortified funk, this is a late night dedication that's tailor made for mornings-after, candle-lit diners and entertaining your in-laws.

Review: Many happy returns to Aaron Schultz's Bastard Jazz label, which has now notched up two decades in the business. To celebrate Schulz has put together a sumptuous, quadruple-vinyl collection that combines brand-new material from the label's family artists with choice catalogue cuts and hard-to-find tracks from the vaults. Packed with musically rich workouts, the must-check collection skips between jazz-flecked deep house (Bad Colours, Nick Wisdom), synth-laden future soul (The Goods with Steve Spacek), revivalist '80s soul (Kumail), Dam Funk style synth-scapes (Bus Crates), soulful house (DJ Spinna remixing Ella J), rushing nu-disco (Jacques Renault reworking The Pendletons), broken beat (Brisa), stoned nu-jazz (Potatohead People) and much more besides.