Kaidi Tatham – Miles Away [First Word Records]
Kaidi Tatham has become one of the most in demand keyboardist/producers on the UK scene today. A career that spans three decades with no signs of slowing down. He’s worked with everyone from 4hero to Marcus Valle, Nubya Garcia and many more. “Miles Away”, his sixth album is filled with the customary funky jazz fusion compositions we have come to enjoy. The bossa nova flavoured “Misty Garden” is a mid tempo burner. “So Happy” is a breezy atmospheric tune with warm vocal harmonies. The hip-hop tinged “Hydration” is filled with funky neck snappin’ drum rhythms. You know Kaidi’s sound when you hear it, warm uplifting keys filled with good vibes. You can’t resist his groove, just give in and enjoy the ride.
Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange – Inspire // Radicalise [Energy Exchange Records]
“Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange, a staple of the Australian music scene return with their latest album “Inspire/Radicalise”. Produced by founding member and drummer Ziggy Zeitgeist and keyboardist Lewis Moody, the band demonstrates their prowess at delivering thumping instrumental grooves. A robust rhythm section is just part of the driving force behind these compositions. The opening track, “Astras Theme” is a high energy romp fuelled by Moody on the Moog and Eric “Sunny” Owusu on congas. “Shine Your Light” is a funky boogie tune that features Karai on vocals. “Cyberfunk” is symbolic of the entire album, infectious grooves that inspire happy feet and plenty of body shaking. An engaging album that deserves your attention.
https://zeitgeistfreedomenergyexchange.bandcamp.com/album/inspire-radicalise
Jazzanova – In Between Revisited: Jazzanova Live [Sonar Kollektiv]
Hard to believe that “In Between”, the ground-breaking debut lp from the Berlin collective Jazzanova is twenty three years old. In a time when there were a number of potent electronic and broken beat tunes, the Jazzanova lp stood out. Now the team returns with “In Between Revisited”, a live rendition of the timeless recording. The Jazzanova band have been touring and recording for fifteen years so the time was right. The live recording breathes new life and injects a wealth of warmth into the recordings. On “No Use”, Clara Hill’s vocals are every bit as lush as they were on the original recording. Florian Manzel’s trumpet is a nice addition to “Another New Day”. Nigerian born Wayne Snow takes over the vocal chair and puts his stamp on “That Night”. The word classic gets tossed around quite a bit but this lp deserves that praise. A welcome return from the Sonar Kollektiv team.
Alexander Flood – Artifactual Rhythm [Atjazz Record Company]
Australian native Alexander Flood has been quite busy since his debut album “Heartbeat” in 2020 Flood dropped a number of singles and EPs showcasing his command of beat making and his propulsive drumming. Flood, who cites Trumpeter Christian Scott ATunde Adjuah as a mentor taps into his jazz influence while composing bruk inspired dance compositions. Surrounded by an array of top tier musicians Flood merges live instrumentation with dancehall culture with impressive results. “Life Is A Rhythm” is an infectious dance track featuring Caseaux O.S.L.O. “Can’t Get Enough” is another banger featuring Vivian Sessions. The band is filled with some of Australia’s rising stars starting with producer Lewis Moody, Finn Rees on keys and bassist Dylan Paul. Together they have captured the dancehall house inspired sound that would make a DJ blush. A potent release with a bevy of infectious grooves worthy of repeated listens.
https://alexanderflood.bandcamp.com/album/artifactual-rhythm
VA – Horse Meat Disco presents Disco Boogie from Brazil Vol.1 [Mr Bongo]
“Disco Boogie from Brazil Vol.1” is a compilation thirteen years in the making from London collective Horse Meat Disco. The four member unit consists of James Hillard, Severino Panzetta, Jim Stanton and Luke Howard. They started a residency at Eagle London in 2003. Nine years later Howard would embark on the first of many visits to Brazil, He would later receive an invitation to visit the headquarters of Mr Bongo records to listen to some rare obscure Brazilian flavoured boogie recordings. A compilation was approved only to lie in limbo due to licensing issues. Well the wait is finally over. “Harmony Cats” kicks off the comp with a funky cinematic theme and a thumping groove. “Sol De Verao” by Lafayette soars with soulful vocals, blistering brass and strings. “Rio Babilonia” is a mid tempo banger from Jorge Ben. It’s always a treat when crate diggers come across some hidden gems waiting for a second chance to be heard. This is an engaging compilation from the always reliable Mr Bongo
https://mrbongo.bandcamp.com/album/horse-meat-disco-presents-disco-boogie-from-brazil-vol-1
Kuna Maze – Layers [Tru Thoughts Recordings]
“Layers”, the latest full length release from DJ/Producer Edouard Gilbert aka Kuna Maze showcases a mellower tempo in contrast to his previous lp “Night Shift”. The album title speaks to his approach to composing this album. Maze’s layering of rhythms and live instrumentation captures the mood of his live performances. “Layered Memories” is a prime example. The mellow tune evokes echoes of Herbie Hancock’s early eighties fusion era. “Tangle” is another simmering tune filled with languid grooves. All eleven tracks follow this formula with superb results. Maze demonstrates that he can create jazz influenced compositions along with house and dub. The finale “Kuna’s Dub” is evidence of that. Maze’s sophomore release is every bit as impressive as his debut.
VA – Our Music Our Culture Vol. 2 [CoOperation Records]
“Our Music Our Culture Vol. 2” celebrates the CoOp. The signature club was spearheaded by Bugz In The Attic members Afronaut and Mark Force, The late Phil Asher, Dego, Domu and IG Culture were early contributors as well. It was during this period that the seeds of Broken Beat were planted. It grew from a London Sunday night hangout into an international phenomenon. Evidence of that lies in the array of bangers compiled here. “Digital Soul” from SoulParlor receives a dynamic dub rework from Naul’s L8 Nite. It’s a certified floor filler. “Loose Legs” is another heater from London DJ/Producer Don Kamares. Other highlights includes “Your Woke Moment” and “Get Stronger” from Ben Hauke and Bruk Rogers respectively. They’re two of the new generation of Bruk beatmakers. As good a compilation as you’ll hear all year. All you need to do is press play and walk away.
Lance Ferguson – L’ocean de toi [Pacific Theatre]
Multi-instrumentalist and Bamboos bandleader Lance Ferguson returns with “L’ocean de toi”. This is a soundtrack to a long lost 1981 French film directed by Leroi Alarie. Alarie sought out Ferguson to compose an entire new soundtrack for the film’s re-release. The result is a recording filled with dreamy sun drenched soundscapes. The title track sets the tone with warm melodic synths riding a deep bass groove. The lanquid “Dream Diary” serenades you swaying wah wah guitar rhythms and warm chords. The atmospheric textures of the soundtrack evokes images of stolen moments by the beach with your partner. It’s fitting since the movie centers around a Summer romance. Whether you see the movie or not this soundtrack is certain to provide immediate satisfaction. Ferguson captures the essence of the early eighties film with another marvelous recording.
https://pacifictheatrerecords.bandcamp.com/track/loc-an-de-toi-1
La BOA + Tony Allen – La BOA meets Tony Allen [Comet Records]
“LOA BOA Meets Tony Allen” is the brainchild of producer Daniel Michel. Michel and his band La BOA – La Bogota Orquesta Afrobeat blends Afrobeat with the rhythms of Colombia. Michel has been fusing the rhythms of the afro-colombian underground with Afrobeat for over a decade. This began as a tribute to the late great drummer Tony Allen. Inspired by a recording by Allen in 2011 for the Parisian label Comet records. Along the way, Michel’s compositions have evolved into a passing of the torch. The opening track “Ale” is a burning mid-tempo banger. The Orquesta’s horn section sparkles while Michel shines on bass and synths. “La Maquina de Tony” kicks off with hypnotic percussion. The horn section adds a wealth of warm melodies layered over a simmering beat. The time Michel spent on this recording has been time well spent. The Orquesta band is filled with superb musicians and the performances are top notch. For fans of Afrobeat you need this in your collection.
https://tonyallen.bandcamp.com/album/la-boa-meets-tony-allen
Nick Marks – Cinematic Chromatics Vol.III [Marks Brothers]
New York based artist Nick Marks returns with Volume 3 of the Cinematic Chromatics series. Born and raised in Melbourne Australia, Marks grew up in a fertile music scene. Since moving to New York in 2016, Marks has established himself as a sought after producer, composer and musical director, Volume One leans into his deep passion of film scores. The result was an impressive blend of strings and electronics. Volume two pivoted towards jazz fusion and hip hop. Volume three brings it all together. “Alpha Bete” packs a lot of funk along with soothing synths and strings. “Into The Void” is a breezy mid tempo burner featuring wordless phrasings from Arta Jekabsone. The jazz funk fusion genre is a crowded market but Marks has the chops to stand out. The six track release is one satisfying release after another.
https://nickmarks.bandcamp.com/album/cinematic-chromatics-vol-iii