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Yearly Archives: 2018
Various Artists: Alex Attias Presents LillyGood Party [BBE]
“LillyGood Party” is a nod to the parties hosted by DJ/Producer Alex Attias in his native Lausanne. Over the years He’s release a number of tracks under various monikers such as Mustang or Freedom Soundz. He also was a part of West London’s broken beat scene during it’s apex via his Vision label. His latest release is a mashup of dance floor bangers and rare gems in various styles. There’s something for everyone starting with the high octane Disco funk of “Earth Overshoot Day” from Cotonete, armed with a Hugo LX remix. One of Tokyo’s finest producers Grooveman Spot’s “Do The Dance” has an wobbly infectious groove that will instantly fill a dance floor. “Curiosity” by Nicole Willis is remixed into a smoothed out soulful banger. Other highlights include a broken beat heater from Kaidi Tatham and Dego and classic RnB soul from Root Soul. Be sure to check Mr Attias next time he’s in your town. This compilation is evidence that he knows how to rock a party.
Florian Pellisier: Bijou Caillou Voyou [Heavenly Sweetness]
Pianist Florian Pellisier’s third release “Bijou Caillou Voyou” continues his stretch of impressive albums. “Bijou Caillou Voyou” exudes a smokey night club ultra cool jazz vibe reminiscent of the late sixties NYC bebop era. Pellisier’s quintet of over a decade convey that vibe to perfection. “Coup De Foudre a Thessalonique” is an earthy tune feels like a cool summer breeze. Pellisier’s swirling melodies align with trumpeter Yoan Loustalot’s joyous soloing. “Boca” is festive number that finds poet Anthony Joseph waxing a tale over drummer David Georgelet’s bubbling percussion. Pellisier’s two handed forays and his propulsive style shine on “Colosse de Rhodes” He unleashes a glorious melody for both trumpeter Loustalot and Christophe Panzani’s tenor to glide over. Georgelet keeps the rhythm in high gear. This is a superb release from a band that can swing hard and takes no prisoners. Pellisier is proving to be a priemier pianist and this hard bop gem will provide definite satisfaction.
Various Artists: Oonops Drops Vol. 1 [Agogo]
“Oonops Drops” is the name of DJ Oonops monthly broadcast on Brooklyn Radio (NYC). Oonops radio show has featured an array of guests from around the globe to expand his listeners musical horizons. When he’s not hosting his show he’s performing DJ sets with an eclectic mix from Dub, afrobeat to hip-hop and more. An avid vinyl collector, he digs deep in the crates to bring some hidden gems for his debut. Among the highlights are “Shadows In The city” by Figub Brazlevic, a dubbed out breakbeat banger that would fit in any soundsystem party. “Suff Daddy is a bouncy boogie tune remixed by Pat Van Dyke. “Mysterious Vibes”, originally a Donald Byrd and the Blackbyrds gem receives a proper edit from Cro-Magnum. ShinSight Trio tastefully covers Side Effect’s soulful 70s classic “Always There” in the form of “You Got Soul”. Released on Agogo records Oonops first compilation fits in with their global state of mind. It also stands among their impressive string of releases this year worthy of your attention.
Toshio Matsuura Group: LovePlayDance – 8 Scenes From The Floor [Brownswood]
For his latest album renowned DJ/Producer Toshio Matsuura enlisted some of the Uk’s finest musicians, including drummer Tom skinner as musical director. “Love Play Dance – 8 Scenes From The Floor” is an alternate take on covers that captures Matsuura’s wide ranging taste from Jazz to dance and beyond. Cuban vocalist Dayme Arocena adds a new flavor to Rotary Connection’s “Black Gold Of The Sun” with the help of her Havana based musicians. “Kitty Bey”, a spiritual jazz classic originally performed by Byron Morris and Unity. The intense reboot features Yussef Dayes, trumpeter Yazz Ahmed and rising star Nubya Garcia respectively. The Flying Lotus cover “Do The Astral Plane” is transformed from avant garde electronica to swinging jazz suitable for the dance floor. This is another enjoyable disc from Brownswood recordings that deserves your attention. Matsuuro demonstrates that jazz and dance aren’t worlds apart when placed in the right hands.
Giselle Smith: Ruthless Day [Jalapeno Records]
“Ruthless Day” is the second full length lp from Giselle Smith. Formely the front woman for the Mighty Mocambos Giselle has arranged a collection of high powered funk that allow her vocals to soar. Among the highlights are “Sweet Memories”, a mid-tempo track oozing with wah-wah guitar funk. “Hero” is a bluesy duet with Eric Boss. “Around again” is infectious funk with tasty piano arrangements. A potent release filled with emotive lyrics, Giselle is a welcome addition to the funk and soul scene.
Dabrye: Three/Three [Ghostly International]
Hailing from Ann Arbor Michigan, Tadd Mullinix aka Dabrye wasn’t sure if or when he would create another record. Twelve years since the release of “Two/Three” A case of writers block and family matters put his projects on ice. So it was a cause for celebration to discover he was back in the studio wrapping up his long awaited follow up. “Three/Three” fuses laid back electronic beats as well as gritty boom bap joints that made “Two/Three” such a highlight. Detroit is represented well by Guilty Simpson on “Tunnel Vision” while Kadence along with Intricate Dialect & Silas Green trade verses on the spacey beats of “Culture Shuffle”. Shigeto, another Detroit Alum brings his diverse electronic sound with the funk deluxe “Sunset”. Dabrye’s connections extend well beyond Detroit with premiere rappers such as Ghostface Killah, Doom and Jonwayne jumping on board. “Three/Three” has a little bit of everything to keep your head on a constant nod. It’s a huge gap between albums but Dabrye has picked up from where he left off and that’s a boon for everyone.
Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra: Black Sun [Far Out Recordings]
Ever since their first compilation in 2014 The Far Out Monster Orchestra has delighted us with invigorating dance tracks remixed by some of today’s acclaimed DJs. With three members of Azymuth, including Arthur Verocai and Jose Roberto Bertrami plus fellow Rio funk legends Banda Black Rio are back to deliver another fabulous collection of original compositions. On the title track we’re delighted by the vocals of Heidi Vogel over a bass driven dance friendly groove. “The Two Of Us” with Mia Mendes on lead vocals is another winner that’s filled with blissful orchestral arrangements and gorgeous vocal harmonies. This album comes with six vocal recordings and an instrumental of each track as well. It’s quality disco stripped down where the focus is on groove, melody and lush arrangements. These musicians have quite the resume when it comes to Jazz, Brazilian and funk compositions. With this release they’ve proven to be equally adept at infectious dance tracks as well.
Nu Guinea: Nuova Napoli [NG Records]
Massimo Di Lena and Lucio Aquilina form the group known as Nu Guinea. The last time we heard from them was on the impressive “Tony Allen Experiments”. With their sophomore lp “Nuova Napoli”, they capture the vibe of Napoli and the foundation of 70s funk and 80s dance rhythms in their music. Massimo and Lucio enlisted many of Naples talented musicians to blend live instrumentation with voices drenched in Neapolitan dialect. “Nuova Napoli” is a laid back sun drench soul with a twisted bass line and synths. “A Voce E Napule” is filled with lively percussion and sweet vocal harmonies. “Ddoje Facce” is a funky synth laden dance track and overall feel good tune. In fact the mood throughout the disc evokes images of crowded streets filled with people dancing to the drummers beat. This is a music journey through Naples that is worthy of repeated trips and another triumph for the talented duo.
Nostalgia 77: Fifteen [Tru Thoughts]
Nostalgia 77 founder Ben Lamdin celebrates fifteen years of glorious music with “Fifteen”. Lamdin along with the Tru Thoughts family collaborated in selecting some of their timeless ethereal compositions from their deep vault for this release. One can only imagine the challenge they had in picking just nineteen tunes. In the end it looks as though they did a fabulous job. Evidence of that comes from the opening track “Quiet Dawn”, a haunting tune featuring Beth Rowley on vocals. Alice Russell, whose powerful soulful vocals has received worldwide acclaim shines on “Seven Nation Army”. Other highlights include “Stars”, a gem that was recorded with the Nostalgia 77 Octet and the folk inspired “Beautiful Lie”. The Ambassadeurs trippy remix of “Sleepwalker” is a downtempo delight and captures the groups varied musical range. If you’re a bit late to Ben Lamdim’s body of work then this would be a great place to start. If you’ve been riding with him all along then this is a great reminder of the quality of music he has given us over the years.
The Expansions: Murmuration [Albert’s Favourites]
The Expansions are a quartet hailing from South London. They made quite an impression with their debut EP “Lavender”. Their latest release “Murmuration” builds on their debut with more funk infused jazz and soul rhythms. “Pocket 5” is fueled by spirited drumming from Jonny Drop and a thumping groove courtesy of bassist Matt Summerfield. On “Cannonball” Dave Koor’s mellow earthy synths along with James O’Keefe’s guitar provide plenty of warm vibes. “Ivory Mountain” is an uptempo fusion highlight driven by spacey synths and a pulsating groove. The Expansions breathe new life into the 70s fusion period with this engaging record. They’ve learned well from their influences while creating a sound all their own.
Submotion Orchestra: Kites [SMO]
With their fifth LP, The Submotion Orchestra return to their roots with jazz infused electronica combined with live instrumentation. “Kites” maintains the atmospheric soundscapes that we fell in love with from their debut “Finest Hour”. Each member drew inspiration from photographic images they brought to the recording. They transformed those images into a splendid collection of emotive compositions. “Variations” is a elegant slow burning tune with blissful keys and hypnotic beats. “Own” is another winner filled with warm strings and blissful horns. Ruby Woods angelic vocals, missing for most of their previous lp shines throughout here. The disc wraps up with “Alone”, a haunting orchestral gem where Woods weaves images of space and open skies around her soft vocals. This is a gorgeous release that is simply sublime. Loyal fans will be more than pleased while new fans will realize what they’ve been missing.
Ty: A Work Of Heart [Jazz Re:freshed]
Brixton’s own veteran rapper Ty returns with his fifth LP entitled “A Work Of Heart”. Ty’s effortless wordplay is on full display as he weaves through a number of personal topics. In addition he’s enlisted some of his ultra talented friends to spread his message. On “Brixton Baby” featuring vocalist and fellow Brixton resident Mpho he pays homage to his hometown. The track strikes a resemblance to the Roy Ayers classic “We Live In Brooklyn”. On “Somehow Somewhere Someway” Ty is joined by the legendary Umar Bin Hassan of the Last Poets to address some of the injustices within our communities. “Eyes Open” featuring Rootz & Deborah Jordan is another thought provoking track about interpreting fact from fiction from the news we receive. “World Of Flaws” featuring underrated rapper John Robinson speaks to our imperfections and how we judge each other. Ty seamlessly delivers his razor sharp bars on top of head nodding beats and live instrumentation. As he states on “Somehow Somewhere Someday”, “You won’t hear an empty song from me”. As you listen with pure satisfaction there’s no doubt about that.
Rhi: Reverie [Tru Thoughts]
“Reverie”, the debut from London based singer songwriter Rhi is a ten track assortment of dreamy explorative electronica filled with haunting mellow beats. Among the highlights are the ambient downtempo “Cherry Glow”. “Romance” is a passionate tune filled with warm keys and sensual phrasings. Blissful vocals and miminal production is the theme throughout here. Rhi has created an album filled with mystique and romanticism which makes for an enchanting listen.
Menagerie: The Arrow Of Time [Freestyle]
Producer and multi-instrumentalist Lanu Ferguson has serenaded us with a myriad of projects ranging from The Bamboos to Black Feeling. His broad musical vision have made him a sort after musician and created high anticipation for his releases. Menagerie, his latest project is no exception. Ferguson’s latest is inspired by the 1970’s spiritual jazz era and is filled with post bop spiritual and Afro jazz rhythms. “Evolution”, erupts with an enchanting piano solo and percussion followed by Fallon Williams philosophical words of wisdom. “The Arrow Of Time” is another winner fueled by simmering horns, tantalizing keys and a harmonious vocal chorus. “Spiral” is an infectious jazz funk gem with a monster groove. “The Arrow Of Time” is a marvelous collection of compositions that inspire joyous energy and warm vibes. Ferguson once again knocks it out of the park with an album that provides definite satisfaction.
Penya: Super Liminal [On The Corner]
Penya is a percussion driven quartet led by producer and multi-instrumentalist Magnus PI. “Super Liminal” is their debut LP and the follow up to their impressive “Acelere” EP. They’re woven a myriad of influences ranging from Cuba to Tanzania to assemble a tantalizing stew of compositions. “Search It Out” is driven by Jim Lem’s bata drumming and enhanced by lead vocalist Lilli Elina, whose vocals shine throughout this disc. Lem shines throughout as well, specifically on “Iyesa” and “Kirachi”. The latter is a pulsating track with tribal overtones due in part to the futuristic synths with ancient chants. Magnus PI’s production has created a lo-fi analog sound that befits the nature of the music. You feel as though you are in the midst of a live performance. The energy this quartet exudes is certain to lift your spirits and move your hips. There’s no use trying to fight it, just release yourself and enjoy it.