Sheffield resident Scott Moncrieff aka Thatmanmonkz has become a sought after DJ and producer on the strength of numerous house bangers for a number of labels. In 2016 he dropped his LP debut “Columbusing”, a mash up of RnB, hip hop and House. Now he’s back on his own Shadeleaf label with his follow up LP “Non Zero Sum Game”. Monkz demonstrates a deft hand at multiple styles of House with sterling results. Among the highlights are the raw stripped down heater “Easy Still” featuring A Brother Is (better known as Pete Simpson). This is the track you’ll find true house heads working up a sweat at the club at 2am showing no signs of slowing down. From there Monkz seamlessly weaves from the infectious Afro House of “Sawa Sawa” to the sensuous disco flavoured “Them Thangs” featuring the vocals of Ms Fae. “LVNLMTD” is another highlight that’s filled with lush string arrangements that make it a sophisticated gem. If you’re not familiar with Monkz then this is the perfect introduction to his work. After you’re done with this essential recording I suggest you check out his earlier work as well.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

Originally released by Tabansi records in 1985, “Afrotunes – Best of Juju Vol. 2” sheds light on Juju music from Ojo Balingo. Based on this release, Balingo is a Nigerian Juju artist cut from the same cloth as King Sunny Ade. Balingo’s style of Juju is a form of Yoruba music filled with various percussions and wah wah guitar rhythms. The album flows as a medley with Balingo’s roaring poetic lyrics over a spirited guitar groove combined with infectious drumming. This is a journey into a forgotten genre that’s worth checking out.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

“Little Ghost”, the fourth lp from Moonchild picks up where “Voyager” left off. That means plenty of warm melodic mid-tempo compositions and hypnotic vocals. Lead singer Amber Navran along with Max Bryk and Andris Mattson collaborate on heavenly harmonies as well as horn and string arrangements. Like the previous release their lyrics paint colours of love and passion. The opener “Wise Women” is a funky number with swaying horn arrangements. “Sweet Love” follows suit with warped beats and chords that melt into your body. The aptly titled “Whistling” adds another layer of gorgeous melodies to their repertoire. This band has rapidly made a name for themselves by delivering yet another brilliant album. Navran’s vocals are food for the soul. Pure bliss from beginning to end.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

If by now you’re not aware of the deep well of talent emerging from Melbourne you better ask somebody. It began with Hiatus Kiayote and others but 30/70 is quickly serving notice as a band to be reckoned with. “Fluid Motion”, their third lp is filled with strong poly-rhythms and funky eclectic melodies topped off by the endearing vocals of Allysha Joy. The quintet is a collective of musicians with their own separate projects yet make notable contributions to these compositions. The title track begins with Horatio Luna’s languid bass groove and Josh Kelly’s hypnotic sax merging while summoning the rest of the group to add their ingredients to the simmering stew of sublime funk. “N.Y.P.” is nocturnal bliss that begins with Jarrod Chase’s soft rhodes melody that serves as the foundation for Joy’s soothing vocals before the tempo builds to a restrained pitch. “Backfoot” is an all for one jam session with the focus on delivering infectious funk. This band is on the rise and this superb record is worthy of repeated listens. Highly recommended.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

With “By Special Arrangement”, The Bamboos dive into the vault to deliver an alternate take on their classic soul compositions. Guitarist, songwriter and producer Lance Ferguson knew he wanted to do something different so he enlisted Ross Irwin for string arrangements and the results are reminiscent of early Stax Blues and soul recordings. Of course the lead vocals of Kylie Audist sound great in any style. Her soaring vocals capture you instantly with the opener “Keep Me In Mind”. She plucks the heart strings on ballads “I Don’t Wanna Stop” and “Stop” as well. “I Got Burned” is another slow soul burner that features Tim Rogers on lead vocals. Ferguson’s echoing guitar compliments the swaying strings. Ferguson and company aren’t resting on their laurels. They’re pushing the boundaries while solidifying their status as one of the première funk and soul acts on the scene today.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

“25 Years Of Paper Recordings” highlights the consistency of proper deep house and Disco from the prominent label. “Part 1”, curated by Crazy P starts out the Balearic banger “Downtime”. “Stratocaster” is another party stomper armed with hypnotic synths. “Part 2” equally has a surplus of gems courtesy of label boss Ben Davis better known as Flash Atkins. Some of honorable mentions are futuristic house heaters like “Honningen by Rave Enka and “Soulfood” from Max Mortimer. “Something Better” by Jamie L is a moody atmospheric floor burner. There’s over thirty tracks here from a deep catalogue for you to savor. Whether you’re familiar with all of them or not, you’ll no doubt find many of them worthy of repeated listens.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

“Everything Is Broke” is the debut album from Cologne based multi-instrumentalist Muito Kaballa. The eight track lp fuses a variety of styles including afro beat, Brazilian with a touch of electronics. Kaballa plays all instruments on all but two tracks here. Among the highlights are “Lugar Ao Sol” Kaballa lays down an infectious African groove augmented by various horns and drum programming. “The Easy Way” is mellow Caribbean inspired bliss filled with vocal harmonies. “Tin Tin” is a stripped down bongo driven tune that features Jan Michael Lauber on Trumpet and Ina Scheuermann on Tenor sax. Kaballa provides a pleasing take on African music specifically and world music overall.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

“Cage & Aviary” is the début from singer/songwriter Bryony Jarman-Pinto. Bryony collaborates with fellow Tru-thoughts label-mate Tom Leah aka Werkha as producer. Werkha’s electronic prowess blend seamlessly with Jarman-Pinto’s organic approach to her compositions. The result is an impressive union of jazz, folk and subtle elements of electronica. “Saffron Yellow” is stripped down to percolating guitar rhythms, percussion and Jarman-Pintos’s emotive vocals. “Sun Kissed” has a slow burning jazz vibe heightened by warm keys and horns. “Emerge” brims with subtle use of the high hat drumming and well placed synths. Hard to imagine that Jarman-Pinto experienced some writer’s block while writing this tune before she had a breakthrough. That aside, Jarman-Pinto’s lyrics, along with her hypnotic vocals provide plenty of emotional depth while embarking on topics about love, life and other thought provoking topics. A superb début from a new voice you should get familiar with.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

The Blassics are a Finland based band that started out as a small instrumental funk band led by Juha Sarkola and Tuure Tammi in 2010. Since then they’ve grown into a nine piece outfit and added several albums to their catalogue. Their sound has also stretched out to incorporate elements of afrobeat and jazz to their energetic funk brand. The opener “In A Sincere Way” sets the tone with their trademark of afrobeat rhythms meets jazz inspired funk. “Hagerun Geleba” is a long playing instrumental jam session with Tammi leading an impressive horn section. “Nurona Biihatu” resonates with mellow tropical vibes. Ethiopian Vocalist Miki Mac vocals aren’t overpowering but he has a warm tone and fits seemlessly with this  band. This is a strong album with six long playing progressive tunes wrapped in a afrobeat groove that’s certainly worth checking out.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

Adam Scrimshire’s fourth full length release is a triumph ripe with brilliant haunting recordings. “Listeners” takes you on journey of blissful soundscapes fusing soul, jazz and electronica. The title suggests that he’s more of a listener as he allowed his collaborators freedom to express themselves by sharing their own stories. Those collaborators are a collection of some of our prominent artists on the scene today. “Life Is Valuable” is an electronic soulful tune that features the husky vocals of James Alexander Bright. The rising multi-instrumentalist Emma Jean Thackray’s warm vocals and trumpet phrasings are a delight on “Won’t Get Better”. The disc wraps up with the glorious composition “Thru You” featuring the incomparable Georgia Anne Muldrow. My minor quibble is there’s only nine songs but rest assured that each song is a delight worthy of repeated listens. All of Schrimshire’s recordings have been superb but this may be his best yet. Highly recommended.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy