Known mainly for their underground housey/disco dancefloor projects, this could be a surprising album release from New York’s Razor-N-Tape label. Though maybe it’s not. Brazilian musician, songwriter and producer Pedro Guinu has delivered his own respectful exploration of Rio de Janeiro’s musical heritage with great original songwriting that takes inspiration from 50 years of Rio’s musical treasures. Touching on MPB, AOR, Brazilian Boogie, Samba, Bossa and more contemporary genres, it’s complimented with a rock solid dancefloor-ready bottom end that makes this much more than a tribute. Read /Listen / Buy
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Sandy Barber 'I Think I'll Do Some Stepping (On My Own)' Remixes (BBE) - a review
Two KILLER remixes here from the Don John Morales and OPOLOPO of Sandy Barber’s brilliant 1978 disco-funk workout 'I Think I'll Do Some Stepping (On My Own)' out now on BBE! Read / Listen / Buy
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DJ Firmeza live in London (photo credit Marta Pina)
Jamaica Mnanda 'Kama Ipo Ipo (What's Yours is Yours)' (DJ Firmeza Remix) - a review
The informal settlements of Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam keeps pouring out some of the most interesting contemporary genres and sounds and Mchiriku is one such genre. Jamaica Mnanda are one of Mchiriku’s finest proponents and on this brand new release they have enlisted the remix skills of Lisbon artist and alumnus of the brilliant Príncipe label. DJ Firmeza, to rework their Casio keyboard fuelled street mayhem into a tough Luso-Afro dancefloor burner. Read / Listen
Read MoreEmpanadas Ilegales 'Luna Modular (Creepy Mambo Single Version)' - T&L PREMIERE!
We are pleased to premiere an exclusive single version of ‘Luna Modular’ from the Vancouver based psychedelic cumbia and salsa outfit - the hilariously named Empanades Ilegales. On the eve of the release of their second album, ‘Creepy Mambo’, it has that infectious psyche-surf-cumbia abandonment of acts like Meridian Brothers and is sure to shake those hips hard! Read / Listen / Buy here..
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“Pierre Barouh and the Saravah Sound” (WEWANTSOUNDS) - a review
Saravah was one of the most influential French labels of the 60s and 70s, and Pierre Barouh, singer, composer and producer extraordinaire, was a master at harnessing disparate talents, creating one of the best musical catalogues anywhere. Out there jazz and French underground pop collide with Brazilian and African flavours that sound as exciting now as when they were created. In partnership with Barouh’s son, Benjamin, WEWANTSOUNDS have given us the first ever retrospective of the revolutionary Saravah sound on vinyl and it is immaculate. Read / Listen
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Leoni Leoni 'Leoni' Leoni' (Bongo Joe) - a review
Leoni Leoni is a Swiss artist whose strangely woozy music is a mesmerizing mix of dreamy odd pop and subtle electronic beauty and the always top notch Bongo Joe have collated this release from four of her homemade cassette releases. It is a lovely trip indeed. Read / Listen
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Hidden Waters: Strange & Sublime Sounds of Rio de Janeiro (Sounds and Colours) - an interview
Our good friend and editor of the ace Latin culture magazine Sounds and Colours, Russ Slater, has teamed up with Joe Osborne to bring us Brazilian music nerds a comprehensive look at the wonkier end of the contemporary music scene in Rio de Janeiro and it is a sprawling feast of sounds that only Brazil can offer. We asked co-curator Joe Osborne for some of his thoughts on the curatorial process and here they are! Read / Listen
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The Paxton/Spangler Septet 'Ugqozi' (Eastlawn Records) - a review
With over thirty years of studying and playing the uniquely joyful jazz of South Africa, RJ Spangler and T-Bone Paxton once again take their septet on a beautiful trip through the music of some of SA’s greatest composers. Compositions from Miriam Makeba, Abdullah Ibrahim and Brotherhood Of Breath have new dimensions explored and there’s even a fresh take on Fela’s ‘Water Get No Enemy’ that sounds like Brian Jackson is jamming with the King of Afrobeat. A great release. Read / Listen
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Jackson Mathod 'Come On Now' (Bridge the Gap x New Soil) - single review
A sunshine laden jazz-funk banger from virtuosic trumpeter Jackson Mathod and his ridiculously tight band here from his upcoming ‘Come On Now EP’ on new label Bridge the Gap x New Soil - Read / Listen
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Los Kenya 'Siempre Afro-Latino' (Música Infinita/Olindo Records) - a review
A ridiculously fresh sounding Venezuelan salsa LP reissued for the first time since 1968 from one of the most prolific bandleaders of the time, Ray Perez. Hip, sexy, full of swagger and serious playing, Música Infinita/Olindo Records have done this reissue the right way, with beautiful new artwork and a fat remaster from The Carvery. Read / Listen here
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Noori (Photo by Janto Djassi)
Noori & his Dorpa Band 'BEJA POWER! Electric Soul & Brass from Sudan’s Red Sea Coast' (Ostinato Records) - a review
Through a chance viewing of a video on Sudanese Tik Tok, the people at Ostinato Records came across the ancient and well-hidden music of the Beja culture. Oppressed by successive regimes, the Beja go back to Ancient Egyptian times but until now, very few have heard their beautiful, evocative melodies until Noori, his one-of-a-kind tambo-guitar and his Dorpa Band recorded these six tracks of serious blues power. Not just the blues though, scattered amongst these ancient melodies lie the sounds of the world. Read / Listen here
Read MoreOzan Tekin 'Orange Jam' (Gülbaba Records) - SINGLE PREMIERE
PREMIERE! A poignant, spacey, minimalist piano piece pulled from Turkish composer and multi-instrumentalist Ozan Tekin’s new album on Gülbaba Records which will be released on 27th May. The sound of an immigrant’s journey back home, not really sure if the German home of his present or his home country truly belongs to him or him to them. Read / Listen here
Read MoreCaytra 'You Lost' - Single Premiere
PREMIERE! The new single from London jazz trio Caytra is a hurtling four to the floor dance workout underpinned by a rock solid rhythm section and understated guitars and synths. From their forthcoming self-titled, self-produced album, ‘You Lost’ could fit into any DJ set that needs a bit of jazz-funk / Brit-funk energy to get the dance fizzing. Listen here….
Read MoreGuohan 'Feeling' (Darker Than Wax) - Single Premiere!
PREMIERE ALERT! We are hyped to offer the premiere of the first single from Guohan’s forthcoming ‘City Of The Sun And Moon’ EP. Simply titled ‘Feeling’ - his signature use of hypnotic field recording loops, dusty percussion and Moodyman style repetitive funk is in full effect but with that 90s deeper-than-deep house thing going on. It’s a bomb! Listen here…
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Rumpistol 'ISOLA' (Raske Plader) - a review
Award-winning Danish pianist, composer and electronic musician Rumpistol (aka Jens B. Christiansen) has created a beautifully immersive album that sits somewhere between neo-classical composition, slow-burning jazz and pastoral whimsy, and should tickle the heartstrings of fans of Max Richter, Nils Frahm and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Read / Listen
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Photo by Helen Bradshaw
Werkha 'All Werk Is Play' (First Word Records) - a review
Mancunian producer Werkha has finally done a full length album and he has pushed and pulled his core ingredients of broken beat, UKG and wonky electronic jazzy grooves into a very tasty new realm. Read / Listen here
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Alawari 'Alawari' (April Records) - a review
Alawari are a young 7 piece jazz collective from Denmark and this, their debut album, is a truly stunning musical document that seems to manage to capture the troubled times that we are living through. A brilliant mix of lush classical arrangements with levels of uninhibited free jazz expression, the record is “Inspired by the spirit of revolution and ancient war” and it sounds like it. Exceptional. Read / Listen here
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Music That Speaks To.... Jules Brennan
Jules Brennan is a British born, Kyoto-based multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer and as he has just released his brilliant new solo album of Japanese inspired funk-jazz-soundtracky grooves called ‘Wamono’, we asked him to choose some music that speaks to him. From Jimmy McGriff to funky anime soundtracks, we can hear how he created his own unique sound. Read / Listen here
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MD. AFTER HUSSAIN & PAQ 'MATIR GAAN (SONGS OF THE EARTH)' (Hive Mind Records) - a review
Hive Mind Records once again give us something we never knew we needed. A stunning collaboration between Bangladeshi migrant MD After and Italian electronic artist Andrea Rusconi offers a meditative collision of cosmic synths and ancient Baul songs that are as mystical as they are psychedelic - a great release. Read / Listen here
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'Music & Social #1' - Billy Bang 'Lucky Man' documentary screening, DJ set, drinks & food.
Truth & Lies Music and Beam Editions are pleased to present: 'Music & Social #1' - Billy Bang 'Lucky Man' documentary screening, DJ set, drinks & food. Read on for event and ticket details…
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