Various Artists: Boglewaltz – We Came For The Music [Boglewaltz ]
If you also came for the music then you’ve come to the right place. Boglewaltz is filled with an assortment of delicious broken beat and soulful gems that you’ll be making arrangements to attend their parties ASAP. Did I say parties? That’s because Boglewaltz are known for hosting some fierce parties around the UK attended by top djs and musicians. For those who can’t make it, fear not this lp will be the next best thing to being there. There are many tasty treats among the fifteen tracks to enjoy like the soulful house gem “Just Fine” by SMI. This is a joyful tune thanks in part to the infectious piano melody and the vocals of Shea Soul. More soulful selections include the sultry “In Your Eyes” by Soulpersona that features Sibel Thrasher. Soundspecies delivers the wicked “Balafon Jam”. Sounspecies is comprised of brothers Henry and Oliver Keen and they make use of the Balafon, an African Xylophone that creates a buzzing sound that is irresistible and meshes perfectly with their booming beats. “Soft Rain” is a wonderful down-tempo tune from Embers that merits your attention as well as the soothing “You” from Analog Jones and D’Ablo. Throughout the year you’ll come across many compilations but few will be as impressive as this one. Highly recommended.
Space Invadas: Soul:Fi [BBE Records]
If you haven’t had this conversation yet, you will one day explain to your kids or somebody else’s kid that music didn’t always require a drum machine to make beats, or a sample wasn’t necessary to capture the right hook or feature the right voice. The days of lo-fi recordings are from another place in time but when played today you can’t help but get lifted by the raw soul seeping into your veins. It has been a daunting task to bridge the gap from the old to the new but the Space Invadas are more than capable of filling that role. Producer Ashley Anderson, aka Katalyst and vocalist Steve Spacek are on a mission to bring you soul music in its purest form and suffice to say, you’ll gladly come along for the ride. Their debut, “Soul Fi” starts out by transporting you to a time when soul music was the norm and not the exception. Upon arrival, you’re treated to “Imaginist”, a funky track that merges a fierce rhythm guitar groove and lush strings that serves as the canvas for Spacek’s falsetto voice. “Super Sweet” is another uptempo foot stomper that finds vocalists Fantine and Spacek playfully flirting with one another over a wicked bass groove and drum beat. “Ready Or Not” is an midtempo gem that utilizes The Delfonics sample of the same name that was so successful for the Fugees mid nineties hit. Spacek sprinkles his voice over the rhythm section and transforms the track into his own. On “Way We Feel”, The Space Invadas bring the pace down to a slow burn and create a sultry slow jam reminiscent of Love Unlimited classics. Indeed “Soul Fi” has all the ingredients of a soul classic and would serve as the antidote for any party in need of a funk injection. This is certainly one of the best early full length releases of 2011.
Opolopo: Voltage Controlled Feelings [Tokyo Dawn Records]
With his third full length release “Voltage Controlled Feelings”, Swedish producer Opolopo has crafted a record that captures the spirit of the boogie and the power of the funk with impressive results. Opolopo’s childhood influences, ranging from Herbie Hancock, Earth, Wind & Fire to Kraftwerk has figured prominently in all of his recordings. In addition he gained valuable experience as a youth traveling with his Father, a keyboard player himself. One thing I can count on from an Opolopo tune is that his songs, although they’re listed in the dance category are all drenched in the sauce of soul and jazz that makes them stand out from the rest. As the case with previous Opolopo releases, “Voltage Controlled Feelings” contains an array of talented vocalists to add spice to his creative compositions. Among the highlights are “Reversed”, mid-tempo tune with a clever melody and deep bass line that features vocalists Amalia and Blacktop. “Our World featuring Erik Rico” is an electro funk jam with catchy synth arrangements. “Waiting” is an energetic electro dance track with an infectious groove that features Farah on vocals. There are also plenty of tasty treats to cool down to like the mellow madness of “The Singularity” and the laid back soul 0f “Take It Slow” with Sacha Williamson. With so many selections here to enjoy it’s easy to see why the remix services of Opolopo are in high demand. Hopefully he doesn’t spread himself too thin so he can continue to create high quality recordings such as this one that provide immediate satisfaction.
Various Artists: Worldwide Family Vol.1 [Brownswood Recordings]
Chances are, if you’re reading this then you’re like many of the World Wide Family members. You rely on taste masters like Gilles Peterson to showcase the hidden gems you would otherwise miss out on. Well Vol.1 of the World Wide family mixtape series provides just that, twenty seven tracks ranging from house to soul to dub step to quench your thirst for progressive new music. Instead of Gilles doing the heavy lifting, the job has been placed in the capable hands of world renowned DJ’s Lefto and Simbad. Lefto compiled the mixup for disc 1and serenades us with a slice of electronica with “Meeting Point” by Damage Is Done. The Brass Roots funky horn cover of Inner City’s “Good Life” was easily one of my favorite singles of 2010. Not to be outdone, Simbad serves up some equally hot joints on disc 2 with the rhythmic jazz of Afrikan Sciences and Kebbi’s “5 Spot”. Seiji’s “The King” is a tasty house track with wicked drumbeats that ignite instant toe tapping. There are many more tunes that you’ll want to add to your rotation so treat yourself and purchase now. Who knows? By the time you’re done Vol.2 could be on the way. That would be good news indeed.
Esperanza Spalding: Esperanza [www.esperanzaspalding.com]
It’s one thing to have a prolific voice on the bass but in the case of the multi-talented Esperanza Spalding, she can equally captivate you with her vocal chops as well. That is readily apparent on her release “Esperanza”, a sparkling project that fuses Latin, Brazilian and World music rhythms in a jazz formula. Esperanza arrived at Berklee college with much fanfare and soon became one of their youngest teachers there. However the desire to record a project with her personal stamp clearly outweighed the classroom and it’s easy to see why. Her disc opens with the melancholy “Ponta De Areia”, a tune originally penned by Milton Nascimento. The original version was a folk flavored tune but Spalding transforms it into a dreamy melodic gem. “I Adore You” is energetic Latin jazz piece that showcases her scatting prowess over a gorgeous piano melody. “Cuerpo Y Alma” (Body And Soul) finds Esperanza swinging in a bebop 5/4 beat while singing in Spanish with impressive results. With a recording as strong as this, the buzz surrounding Esperanza clearly has merit. It will be exciting to watch her career evolve and experience the fruits of her recordings along the way.
Esperanza Spalding: Chamber Music Society [www.esperanzaspalding.com]
A true artist isn’t content to drive along the same path. Once the bow has been tied on the last project, they’ve taken a new road in pursuit of new musical horizons. In the case of Esperanza Spalding she has shifted from the spirited funky “Esperanza” to the acoustic “Chamber Music Society” and the results are heartfelt compositions filled with superb performances. Because of its intimate nature, chamber music has been described as the music of friends and she has filtered this disc with an array of talented musicians such as Milton Nascimento, drummer Terri Lynn Carrington and others. The opener “Little Fly”, a poetic tune with strings that was inspired by artist William Blake. “Chacarera”, composed by pianist Leo Genovese, finds Esperanza singing in a vocalese style over the engaging melodies created by Genovese and cellist Dave Eggar. “Apple Blossom” is an emotive if not somber piece where Spalding’s vocal harmonies are interwoven with Nascimento’s baritone phrasing. “Inutil Paisagem” is a tender duet between Esperanza and Gretchen Parlato that captures their vocal dexterity. Parlato’s clever hand percussion playing intertwines beautifully with Spalding subtle bass riffs. You’re not going to find “Esperanza pt 2” within this recording but you will find a disc filled with warm and peaceful melodies that resonate within you. In addition they provide a snapshot of Spalding’s diverse talents.
Amalia: Art Slave [Tokyo Dawn Records]
Having apprenticed with the likes of the band Sekoya and the soulful dance grooves of producer Opolopo, songstress Amalia is ready to spread her wings with her funk deluxe debut “Art Slave”. With production mainly from Opplopo excluding the remixes by AtJazz, AD Bourke and Son Of Kick, “Art Slave” is inspired by the 80’s electro soul period and there are several tracks that will transport you to that era. Among the highlights are the sensuous synth-funk “Welcome To Me”. “Luxurious” will conjure memories of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” courtesy of Opolopo’s wicked synth work. Amalia cools down just a bit and blends a little ballad into the funky “All The Funk I need”. “Zebra Butt” is a mid-tempo bass driven funk jam that receives an assist from rapper Probe DMS. If you can’t live on funk alone there’s the Opolopo Nu swing remix of “Life’s A Dance” that will quench the soulful dance thirst you’ve come to expect from her. Overall, “Art Slave” is an energetic coming out party for the lady with the siren voice. If you long for some 80’s funk with a little new jack swing mixed in, you’ll certainly enjoy this.
Reel People Presents: Golden Lady [Reel People Music]
Oli Lazarus, founder of Papa Records and Reel People return with their third release. Once again they deliver that customary soulful house sound that you’ve come to expect from them, albeit with a twist. Take for example the title track; Oli and singer Tony Momrelle flip the Stevie Wonder classic into a blissful Brazilian foot stomper. “Sure” featuring singer Darien continues along this theme blending a touch of samba and rhythm guitar into this soaring dance number. “It’s Hard” appears on the disc courtesy of Phil Asher and his Restless Soul Fun Band. This is a straight up soulful floor burner with sexy vocals and well placed horns. “Nights In Africa” rounds out the disc and is arguably the highlight as well. Produced by Toni Economides and Kaidi Tatham, they create an uplifting afro-soul burner that is augmented by the vocals of newcomer Renn. With additional appearances from Choklate and Simon Grey, Oli and the crew have ensured that “Golden Lady” will receive plenty of burn throughout the year. I can’t emphasize the word burn enough, this is one hot record.
The Liberators: The Liberators [Record Kicks]
It doesn’t take long to recognize that the ten member unit known as the Liberators can play a mean brand of Afro-funk, and play it well. The Sydney based band’s debut is a crisp ten song collection of high energy afro-funk that percolates from one song to the next. The group was formed by Dojo Cuts guitarist Nathan Aust and he has assembled a cohesive unit with all the ingredients; a blistering horn section, wicked guitar rhythms and top notch drumming and percussion. That’s evident right from the start with “Multiculture”, a hard charging tune armed with an airtight horn section and a lead tenor sax delivering spirited soloing. “Rags To Riches” brings more heat, albeit with some funky guitar work and precision horn arrangements. Only three tracks feature vocalists and none of them disappoints. “Let It Go” is a nice mid-tempo tune with a strong groove and bubbling percussion that features Dojo Cuts member Roxie Ray. “Liberation” is one of the highlights of this strong set, a dynamic tune that features Afro Moses. Known in Ghana as the African James Brown, Moses puts a charge into the set with his singing and his energy is infectious. The Afro funk sound and Afro beat in general becomes more popular every day and firing up clubs everywhere. Let’s hope that this is the first of many strong releases by The Liberators to help carry the torch.
Portico Quartet: Knee Deep In The North Sea [Real World Records]
This latest from Portico Quartet is actually their very first full length release from 2007. “Knee Deep In The North Sea” is the record that put these guys on the map and for good reason. There is a great level of musicianship here and their compositions are colorful and engaging. Then of course there is the hang instrument, performed by Nick Mulvey that distinguishes the group because of its steel pan like tone. There are many tracks to savor as the entire disc is enjoyable. “News From Verona” is warm and mellow thanks in part Jack Wyllie’s phrasing on sax that blends nicely with the tone of the hang drum. Duncan Bellamy’s gentle brushes on the cymbals convert the drums into a percussion. “Zavodovski Island” is a spirited tune blends spectacular moments from Wyllie as well as Milo Fitzpatrick on bass. “Steps In The Wrong Direction” starts out soft and sublime then changes tempo and carries the tune to greater heights. A live session of this song is also featured here. There are other live recordings that are equally enjoyable. “All The Pieces Matter” is from the Madia Vale session and “Knee Deep In The North Sea” from the Copenhagen sessions. This was already a wonderful record when it was first released. Now with a little fine tuning and reproduction polishing, a great record just became better.