Funk | Soul Tape 47 Items

February 2023 marked the arrival of an album that’s redefining the sound of soul for a new generation: October London’s The Rebirth of Marvin. Signed to Death Row Records by Snoop Dogg, the 2025 Grammy nominated October London channels the spirit of Marvin Gaye in this homage to one of music’s most soulful voices, capturing both Gaye’s timeless influence and London’s own unique artistry. Reflecting on the project, October London shared, “Dear Marvin, I’m not trying to be you. That’s impossible. You’re one of a kind. I just want to pay homage to you, brotha. You paved the way for this sound, and I’m just here to make sure they don’t forget.” The album’s lead single ‘Back to Your Place‘ has already topped the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart, captivating listeners and earning three Soul Train Music Award nominations. From his beginnings as a rising artist under Snoop Dogg’s mentorship to his place as a force in modern R&B, October London’s journey has led to this pivotal moment. The Rebirth of Marvin is both a tribute and an evolution, a soulful reminder of the legacy Gaye left behind - and of the new pathways London is creating for it today.

The latest mash up from AMERIGO GAZAWAY is a scorcher! You loved FELA SOUL and BIZARRE TRIBE, now YASIIN GAYE: 13 tracks that perfectly blend MOS DEF and MARVIN GAYE. Features TEDDY PENDERGRASS, KANYE WEST, TAMII TERRELL,TALIB KWELI and BLACK ASTRONAUTS. Full picture sleeve, double vinyl!

If you purchased a snake plant, asparagus fern, peace lily, or what have you fromMother Earth on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles (or bought a Simmons mattressfrom Sears) in 1976, you also took home Plantasia, an album recorded especiallyfor plants. Subtitled "warm earth music for plants_and the people that lovethem," it was full of bucolic, charming, stoner-friendly, decidedly unscientifictunes enacted on the new-fangled device called the Moog.Before Brian Eno did it, Mort Garson was making discreet music. Julliardeducated and active as a session player in the post-war era, Garson wrote loungehits, scored the 1969 moon-landing and plush arrangements for Doris Day, andgarlanded weeping countrypolitan strings around Glen Campbell's "By theTime I Get to Phoenix."But as his daughter Day Darmet recalls: "When my dad found the synthesizer, herealized he didn't want to do pop music anymore." Garson encountered RobertMoog and his new device at the Audio Engineering Society's West Coast convention in 1967 and immediately began tinkering with the device."My mom had a lot of plants," Darmet says. "She didn't believe in organizedreligion, she believed the earth was the best thing in the whole world. Whatevercreated us was incredible." And she also knew when her husband had a good song.Novel as it might seem, Plantasia is simply full of good tunes.This release marks the first official re-issue of the long sought-after cult classic.Hearing Plantasia in the 21st century, it seems less an ode to our photosynthesizing friends by Garson and more an homage to his wife, the one with the greenthumb that made everything flower around him. "My dad would be totallypleased to know that people are really interested in this music that had nopopularity at the time," Darmet says of Plantasia's new renaissance. "He would befascinated by the fact that people are finally understanding and appreciating thispart of his musical career that he got no admiration for back then." Garson seemsto be every...

This tape is a prison tape made for inmates of prisons in the USA. It comes without screws, without print and without inlay as it should be.

This tape is a prison tape made for inmates of prisons in the USA. It comes without screws and without an inlay as it should be. Manufactured in 2012 or 2013.

*Available Nov. 19th, 2021*

“Things happen for a reason, man.” - Leo Nocentelli

At just fourteen, Leo Nocentelli was backing up Otis Redding. Soon after, he was playing on hits for Lee Dorsey, The Supremes, and The Temptations. As an original member of The Meters, Leo wrote instant classics “Cissy Strut” and “Hey Pocky A–Way,” but his greatest moment on record may be totally unknown, until now…

Recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s Jazz City Studio in New Orleans in the early ‘70s and then lost to the ages, Another Side is one of Leo Nocentelli’s most personal and definitive moments ever cut to tape. A mixture of funky folk and rootsy, raw emotion (think Bill Withers and James Taylor meeting Allen Toussaint at Link Wray’s Three Track Shack), this previously unheard album shines like the sun on a spring day on the New Orleans fairgrounds. Backing Nocentelli is an all-star line-up of New Orleans royalty, including Allen Toussaint (piano), James Black (drums), and both George Porter Jr. (bass) and Zigaboo Modeliste (drums) of The Meters. Deeply introspective, the album features nine original songs by Nocentelli, plus a soulful rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song.” Half a century later, these recordings sound just as fresh and engaging as the day they were recorded.

What makes Another Side even more extraordinary, however, is the fact that the album—which could have easily become a classic in the ‘70s singer-songwriter canon—sat untouched for decades; miraculously surviving the devastating blow of Hurricane Katrina, only to be found 2,000 miles away at a Southern California swap meet in 2018 by record collector Mike Nishita. The album’s incredible journey is documented in the liner notes by Sam Sweet (New York Times, Los Angeles Times), who spoke with Nocentelli and Nishita about the recording process and re-discovery of the tapes. Sweet’s full notes appear in the release’s accompanying booklet alongside hand-written lyrics by Leo Nocentelli. The first pressing of the vinyl edition will feature gold-foil treatment on cover and spine. Rounding out the package are original designs and layout by the multi GRAMMY®–winning designer Masaki Koike.

While Nocentelli was embedded in New Orleans’ R&B scene, he was also deeply inspired by the late 1960’s and early 1970’s rising singer-songwriters, and soon found himself exploring sounds that were miles away from his band’s hard-edged funk riffs. Whenever he had downtime from session work and shows, Nocentelli spent much of 1971 recording his newly-found, reflective, diaristic songs at Matassa’s Jazz City studio. Backed by longtime Meters bandmate George Porter Jr. on bass, Nocentelli crafted the lineups for his sessions to match the tone of the material. When he needed a pianist, he’d call Toussaint. For percussion on the slower songs, he used drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, but many of the tracks featured James Black—a frequent collaborator of Toussaint’s and a member of Ellis Marsalis’ jazz group, whom Nocentelli recalls as an “unbelievable” musician. The recording, which Nocentelli fondly refers to as his “country-and-western-album,” paints a picture of a young man yearning to find a sense of purpose. “I was going through some changes which were reflected in the songs that I wrote during that time,” he tells Sweet. Among them is the mid-tempo “Getting Nowhere,” in which he expresses a sense of frustration, as he watches others find success around him. Similarly, “Till I Get There” details a man who is struggling to persevere in his goals. In the soaring “Tell Me Why,” meanwhile, the singer contemplates the existence of God. Other songs center around fictional characters. “Pretty Mittie,” for instance, is sung from the perspective of a farmer who longs to give up his arduous life for the city. “You’ve Become a Habit” is about a man who falls for a sex worker named Fancy. “Riverfront” is based on stories that singer Aaron Neville shared, about his days working on the New Orleans waterfront. Nocentelli also chose to perform one cover: Elton John’s breakthrough hit, “Your Song.” The guitarist made the recently-released ballad his own—infusing it with a loping, head-nodding cadence, ever so tastefully “funkdafied” in true New Orleans fashion. By the time that the album was finished, The Meters were busier than ever. They had just signed a record deal with Warner Brothers and were now the official house band at Toussaint’s studio, Sea-Saint. There, they not only backed artists on Toussaint’s Sehorn label but had also become the go-to session musicians for every major artist that recorded in New Orleans. Rather than focus on a solo career, Nocentelli poured his energies into The Meters’ next album. Eventually, time moved on, as did Nocentelli, and he decided to store his unreleased solo album at Sea-Saint for safekeeping. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Sea-Saint was among its victims. While Toussaint (who passed away in 2015) had sold the hallowed studio in the mid-90s, hundreds of his archived recordings remained in the building. The new owner salvaged what he could from the flooded building, shipping everything to a storage facility in Southern California. Boxes of tapes sat there for more than a decade before moving to another unit, which foreclosed a year later. The contents were purchased in a blind auction and, days later, sold at a swap meet. The fact that record collector Mike Nishita just happened to be there was pure kismet. Nishita, a DJ and brother to “Money Mark” Nishita (of Beastie Boys fame), recognized the Sea-Saint label on the boxes and purchased all 673 master tapes at the swap meet. He inspected the contents with his friend Mario Caldato Jr., the longtime audio engineer for the Beastie Boys. In addition to masters from Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Lee Dorsey, and Toussaint, there was a quarter-inch reel with Nocentelli’s name on it. As Caldato and Nishita played it back, they knew they had something special. “There was nothing else like it,” writes Sweet. “An acoustic album by the greatest funk guitarist who ever lived. It was the tape Mike would play for people to show them how special the collection was. The best album in the vault was something nobody knew existed.” Eventually, Nishita and Nocentelli connected, “He was so grateful, so sincere,” recalls Nishita. “I just kept thinking about how this music needs to be heard...Especially when you look at all the things that had to fall into place for these tapes to survive and be discovered this way.” As Nocentelli simply puts it, “Things happen for a reason, man.” And now, Light in the Attic is thrilled to give this remarkable record the spotlight it so rightly deserves. 50 years later, all is not lost.

At long last, all four of Ed Balloon's eps are available on physical medium! Until now these breakthrough releases have been digital only. For this special release, Ed Balloon has changed the sequence of all the tracks to create the perfect full length listening experience. Hear his unique brand of pop soulfulness in a totally new way!

Includes the songs from 'No Smoking', 'Yellow 20-Somethings', 'Flourish', and 'I Hate it Here'.

Stretch and Bobbito’s debut album No Requests explores the legendary club DJs’ vast musical knowledge with covers of songs directly from their record crates! Featuring the M19s Band, a live band of elite hand-picked musicians, the gatekeepers of ‘90s Hip Hop step outside their foundational genre base to produce Latin, Afro-beat, Samba, Jazz, Reggae, and Soul reinterpretations of dance floor bangers—ranging from popular to rare and obscure—which loosely depart expected structure and create new nuances to familiar tunes. The group also offers original compositions along the sonic journey. All tracks have one goal in mind: GROOVE!

Latest mash up masterpiece from AMERIGO GAZAWAY, the man behind BIZARRE TRIBE, YASIIN GAYE, and FELA SOUL. On this new SOUL MATES project he brings to life an imagined studio session between the high priestess of soul NINA SIMONE & hip hop legend LAUREN HILL. 17 tracks, gold shell, back in stock.

Actress delivered his mix for RA in June and it wassuprisingly all new and exclusive Actress music. Whenasked if this was a new album, Actress aka Darren S.Cunningham simply answered that "it's a collage -Braque". Whatever you call this, a mix, a mixtape, acollage/braque, a new album , what it is, is anotherActress statement. Actress grows music. Completelyunconcerned with what it is, with what format it is orwhat it's defined as.

Enigmatic Society is the next offering from the multi-faceted, Grammy-nominated supergroup Dinner Party. Full of opulently intricate instrumentation and a range of sleek R&B to smooth neo-soul vocals, Enigmatic Society is mesmerizing in its entirety. The album features brilliant performances from the debut Dinner Party crew: Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder, with additional help vocalists Phoelix, Arin Ray, Ant Clemons, Tank and producers Sounwave, Hi-Tek and Trevor Lawrence Jr. Enigmatic Society serves as a follow up to the group’s 2020 debut self-titled album and continues as a celebration of Black joy, life, art, and culture, as it pays tribute to the duality that manifests in both the beauty and adversity in Black America. This deep sense of community and family flows throughout the project with the album’s artwork designed by Kamasi Washington’s sister, artist Amani Washington.

1971 and Black America was luxuriating in the soft soul of the O’Jays, the Temptations had just left behind their flirtation with psychedelia, James Brown was explaining Soul Power, Sly & the Family Stone were having a Family Affair, and Marvin Gaye was asking ‘What’s Going On’.

In their own inimitable way, Funkadelic were laying down their own statement about the ecology of the planet in the opening of lead and title track ‘Maggot Brain’, turning it into an elegy for the Earth in the ensuing heart-wrenching extended Eddie Hazel guitar solo – one of the most radical records of the period.

The album also spawned two Top 50 singles with the usual Funkadelic wry observational humour of ‘You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks’ and ‘Can You Get To That’. And just in case you think things have normalised, the set closes with nine minutes of the chaotic sound collage ‘Wars Of Armageddon’.

PARTS is a two piece electronic duo based in Grand Rapids, MI. Members Alyssa Midcalf and Marley Ferguson alternate between lead and background vocals while forming a balance between light and airy, and dark and moody. The band formed in December of 2015 and has made impressive strides in the last year. Touring nationally supporting Hoops and garnering praise for their debut EP from many buzz blogs, Gorilla Vs Bear called their songs "an ethereal collection of diaphanous, dreamily melancholy synth-pop" and The Le Sigh says they've "crafted an intoxicating, sparkly synthpop album."

Welcome to round two on our mission to be a spotlight for the best in contemporary funk, soul & positive vibes. We are proud and happy to present another colorful compilation including very talented and funky artists from this lovely planet. Dive into 50 minutes of funk & soul. Visit our Soul Library on goldenrules.de, follow our Soul Stories via @goldenrules.soul on Instagram, find great vinyl in our soul shop and support the artists and labels directly on their channels.

The Growth Eternal is Tulsa-native Byron Crenshaw - descendant of Black Wall Street pioneers. Currently residing in Los Angeles, the jazz bassist, vocodorist, producer/songwriter/composer, artist and activist presents PARASAiL-18 - the debut full-length album.

Byron explains his new album: "PARASAiL-18 was a 4 year process, and this process has made me as much as i’ve made it. What is this album all about?My escape in all its different forms:Hope, drugs, sex, desire, daydreaming, nightwalking, burial, fire, and fun.

The Parasail represents our momentary relief from the weight of the world. The “18” represents the point in my life where i needed escape most. The lowercase “i” represents ego dissolution and yielding to things as they are. The end of our escape.

“This record is a representation of everything that has led me to this point. It’s been a long, bizarre path,” says Zenizen’s Opal Hoyt of both her life and her journey to make this record. Like Peter and the Wolf, the Russian symphony Hoyt used as a creative framework, P.O.C (Proof of Concept) is a series of vignettes—the collection of which mirrors Hoyt’s long journey, from her adoption in Alaska to her many moves between DC, Jamaica, Vermont, and New York. Along this unconventional path, Hoyt met the talented cast of musicians who would go on support her in the recording of P.O.C: variegated bass by Jonathan Maron (Erykah Badu, D’Angelo); drums by Vishal Nayak (Nick Hakim, Empress Of); moments of magic on horns by Sly 5th Ave (Prince); guitars by Benamin (igbo); intricate mixing by Nick Herrera (Hiatus Kaiyote), Benamin, and Jon Bap; with mastering by Heba Kadry and Davy Levitan. Then there’s Hoyt herself, whose rich alto pierces through with poetic lyricism, supported by her contributions of Rhodes, synths, and sample arrangements (think: babbling brooks and birdsong). In other words, Hoyt isn’t just a songwriter in the classic sense. She’s also a skilled producer with an ear for excellent arrangements—the kind of musician who enjoys meandering and allowing her artistic vision to percolate. Likewise, P.O.C is a record that blooms in beauty over time—the kind of record that you can take anywhere in any season, as any version of yourself.

"A Ragged Ghost" is the eighth full-length album from electronic producer Jonas Reinhardt. Following albums on Kranky, Not Not Fun, Constellation Tatsu, and more, his debut release for Trouble In Mind brings together 11 new pieces that explore themes of life & death, netherworlds, and the liminal spaces in between. Taken together as a single narrative, the album offers a stirring exploration of mortality and immortality in what Reinhardt describes as 'a dance of religious syncretism, navigating spaces between the living and the dead'."A Ragged Ghost" finds him synthesizing influences organically from familiar teutonic strains to the intense austerity of early 21st century electronic pioneers such as Biosphere and Susumu Yokota. A whisper of the Italo-disco-esque romps of Jonas' 2012's "Foam Fangs" EP & 2013's "Mask of The Maker" LP merge with his more kosmische leanings into a sinister, slightly funky, but also studious suite that at times feels like a lost sound library record from the KPM archives. Openers "Ape & The Universal Axis" and "In Lotto Commodore" decidedly sound like a selection from a lost film score while others like the bubbling "Sly Tomb" recall the works of Roedelius or Vangelis' serene soundscapes. Meanwhile, fans of the electro-ambience of Manuel Göttsching's strobe-light, proto-house (on his seminal "E2-E4") or the pulsing insistence of John Carpenter's visceral non-horror scores (i.e. "Escape From New York" or "Assault on Precinct 13") will find a lot to love about songs like "Tumb Tumb" and "Wretched Orchestra of Armistice".

A year and a half after releasing his self-produced, independent full-length LP Saturday Morning to critical acclaim, producer and multi-instrumentalist Carrtoons plans his return to music with his next album, Homegrown. Evolving his trademark Modern Motown sound, Carrtoons continues to expand his already diverse musical repertoire in jazz, soul, hip-hop, and more. Set for release on April 20th, 2022, Homegrown is Ben Carr's inaugural release with renowned Wichita Recordings (Bloc Party, First Aid Kit, My Morning Jacket, Yeah Yeah Yeahs.) The youngest son of jazz violinist Richard Carr (Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins), Ben received his college degree in Jazz Performance, made his debut with Mad Satta, and opened for artists like Thundercat, Nick Hakim, Gabriel Garzon Montano, and Mac Ayres. Over the last few years, he has become one of the most sought-after producers in music through his eye-catching Instagram videos, powerful bass lines, and memorable melodies. His unique fills, phrases, and compositions made him an instant favorite, leading to recent collaborations with Robert Glasper, Alex Isley, Kiefer, and Butcher Brown. The success of Saturday Morning was the first sign of evolution in Carrtoons career, with the album surpassing 2 million streams on Spotify in mid-February. The ad placement of his track "Give It Up" with Green Mountain Coffee gave him exposure to a whole new audience, while his guest feature on the Tiny Desk series rearranging the NPR theme songs for their 50th anniversary was also a hit. Starting 2022 off strong, Carrtoons' recent work with The Kount led to the release of their ultra-viral video "On My Way" and the organic growth of over 100,000 followers in 4 weeks on Instagram. His continued strides in music, along with astonishing growth across several platforms is clear indication of Ben Carr's promise and potential. More than just an album; Homegrown characterizes the hard work, seeds sown, and natural growth of a gifted musician. An artist you will want to watch!

This tape is a prison tape made for inmates of prisons in the USA. It comes without screws, without print and without inlay as it should be.

This tape is a prison tape made for inmates of prisons in the USA. It comes without screws and without an inlay as it should be. Manufactured in 2012 or 2013.

Grup Ses presents Program #03: A Mixtape of Rare & Unreleased Beats. İstanbul based producer Grup Ses returns with the final episode of 'Program' trilogy for Sucata Tapes. Program #03 focuses on productions of Grup Ses between 2008 and 2021. Grup Ses project dates back to 2007 which at the time focused on v/vm style edits and breakcore infused mash ups. Starting from 2008 Grup Ses started to build a version of Stones Throw & Brainfeeder influenced beatmaking mixed with a touch of humour. A blend including all kinds of local recorded material like records, tapes, radio broadcasts etc., which became the building blocks of signature Grup Ses sound.

Greece’s funk maestro is back with an incredible new album, Soul Shower. Dimitris Tentinis is Mister T., a mainstay of the Cold Busted label having released seven previous albums through the respected imprint. His varied discography touches on hip hop, soul, dub, and electronic music – but funk is the consistent thread tying together all of Mister T.’s productions. His cuts have become staples in the DJ sets and playlists of underground tastemakers, and there’s also recognition from the mainstream — Mister T.’s music has appeared in brand campaigns from the likes of Capital One, Walmart, Nike, and Hennessy. The funk maestro is on the rise, and Soul Shower is his latest milestone.

DJ Randy Ellis (formerly Hotthobo) threw together "Discobolus" as a double sided cassette mix, selecting and showcasing some all-time favorite Disco, Funk, Boogie, and Soul Jams strictly on 7".
The Discobolus or "disc-thrower", and the potential energy expressed by it's tightly wound pose, alludes to the DJs ability to "throw discs", to blend and sequence them, create a story through the music, to ultimately make the listener feel and move to these musical relics...the music a vessel to change and shape the world around it.
This entire 7" mix features modern acts like Leonard Charles, The Jack Moves and Young Gun Silver Fox along-side mostly obscure soul/funk bands from 70s and 80s like Terry Gengis, Carol Shinnete and Bad News Band.

The PPU debut EP from Japan outfit Wool & The Pants. The Tokyo trio includes players; Yu Tokumo (Guitar / Vocals), Kento Enokida (Bass), and Aki Nakagomi (Drums). First discovered in 2017 by Mad Love, Tokumo has been making this music since 2008 drawing inspiration from Jagatara, Kimidori, Daisuke Tobari, Sakana, Think Tank, Les Rallizes Denudes, ECD, Haruomi Hosono, Can, Syd Barrett, Laraaji, and SunRa.

The first full length album and cassette release on Outrun, Sundae is a mini modern funk odyssey by Scotland’s High Park Funk, one in which we visit many of his standout modern funk and boogie gems. From the introductory Sundae, the lights are dimmed for a special listening experience—and we get what we are promised. Bright and gleaming cuts like Tell Me How You Feel and Kounting Stars, the Kleeer-esque My Melody, and the sloppy spoonful of funk served on Grandad, are what make this stripped-down, funkafied album a lovely addition to a growing funk tape collection. This is a album for lovers of glassy, beautiful chords, stanky bass lines, scintillating synth leads, and of course, glorious doo-wop talkbox ditties.

Limited edition for Cassette Store Day 2019!

2018's Free Money is now available on cassette for all the soul fans from Japan to the San Jose Flea Market!

London-based musician Harriet Zoe Pittard aka Zoee has been described as an artist who writes 'personal pop for people who don't fit in' (Huck Magazine). Previously, Zoee has released singles through Ryan Hemworth's 'Secret Songs' imprint and Vegyn's label Plz Make It Ruins, as well as guesting as a vocalist on tracks with Hot Chip's Joe Goddard and with hyper-pop collective PC Music.Over the past two years Zoee has taken some time to nurture her voice and her sound. Her debut album 'Flaw Flower' is due on June 25th.'Flaw Flower' is an honest and vulnerable glimpse into Zoee's interior world, a world she creates through marrying her real-life phone notes with imagery taken from modern works of literature such as "The Flowering Corpse" by Djuna Barnes, Sylvia Plath's "A Winter Ship" and Maggie Nelson's "Bluets". Through these 11 new songs, Zoee delves deep into her own emotional life, combining aspects of the everyday with the surreal in order to uncover the beauty found in being flawed. The record nods to the avant pop of the 80s, an era that Zoee has always been drawn to thanks to the expressive and trailblazing music of women including Anne Clark, Joan Armatrading, Cyndi Lauper, Rose McDowall and Anna Domino. The album is characterised by a mix of hi-fi and lo-fi instrumentation. 'The Loft' features a free jazz solo from acclaimed experimental saxophonist Ben Vince alongside stock GarageBand synths. 'Host' combines home demo backing vocals with an elaborate baby grand piano solo. Zoee sources foley sounds from YouTube and pulls from her own domestic field recordings, such as a microwave buzzing in 'Microwave' and a shower running in 'Evening Primrose', often using these sounds as the starting point for the songs. Maintaining intimate bedroom elements whilst developing a more expansive band sound, felt integral to the project, since that's where Zoee's writing process often starts, sat on her bed with her laptop and midi keyboard. Writing for the album began in October 2018 when Zoee started workin...

A vibrant kaleidoscope of sound, colour and emotion, British multi-hyphenate James Alexander Bright's new album 'Cool Cool' is set for release on 26th July via Athens Of The North. A dynamic set of urgent funkers, gentle soul ballads, head-nodders, fuzzy folkers and straight-up disco bangers span 10 songs that soundtrack fertile daydreams, esoteric dancefloors, languorous reflection, and wild excursions in nature and beyond.

James' voice, pitched somewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald, takes a confident lead on this new record. Whether tenderly caressing on the title track's beautiful soul minimalism or deployed passionately on boogie machine 'Straight Line'; it's an immediately recognisable signature. Impressive multi-instrumentalism sees him perform on guitar, bass, keys, programming, percussion, production and myriad quirky effects; across song subjects that cover searching for truth, imagining the distant future, teen nostalgia, relaxation exploration, aspirations of freedom, and classic tales of love and romance.

"'Straight Line' started out as a wonky homage to 80s & 90s radio", says James. "It's based on the memory of meeting someone you want to stay up all night listening to music with". Disco highlight 'Your Love' is"based on the feeling of love and chasing it. It has a certain kinetic charm but holds a melancholic note also". Similarly, on soulful paean to romance 'Fall For You' James explains"You know when you've loved. To love is a magical thing whether it's an experience, an object, or a person; we've all loved and lost".

"'Cool Cool' is the most stripped back song I've ever written,"he confesses."Recorded in one afternoon with no special effects or production tricks, it feels quite timeless". In contrast the uninhibited 'Aguas Blancas' flexes with exuberance. James explains"It's a homage to one of my favourite beaches on the island of Ibiza. I was imagining being there as I made this. What's not to like about big waves, a buzzing beach shack bar, and nudity?".

As always with James' music, what started as a solo endeavour organically morphed into more of a family affair. Initially written and recorded at his home studio in the rolling hills of the Hampshire countryside, the tracks on 'Cool Cool' were completed in sessions with regular collaborator Peter Lyons in East London and Linkwood at Athens Of The North in Edinburgh. Old friends and new contribute vocals (Kerry Leatham and Katharine Alice), drums (Gillan McLaughlin and Joris Feiertag), and synths (Reuben Vaun Smith on 'Aguas Blancas'), plus collaborations with Wolverhampton electronic duo Letherette on 'I Feel Alive' and Ugandan/Nottingham singer-songwriter and guitarist Daudi Matsiko on 'Hear'.

James says"Some of these people I was in bands with as a kid, which is a pretty magical thing. I've been a fan of Letherette for years so it was a buzz when I asked Andrew to work on some tracks together and he was really into it. When Daudi shared a guitar part he wasn't sure what to do with on his Instagram stories, I messaged him to say "I'll make a track out of this!" and that then became 'Hear'".

The past six years has seen James release a veritable treasure trove of music: 'Mallorca' and 'Strange Folk' EPs, debut album 'Headroom', joyous second 'Float', an album of collaborations and reworks with cosmic Americana-disco DJ/producer duo Flying Mojito Bros, and a new project with Groove Armada's Tom Findlay as Bright & Findlay.

James balances music alongside the creative duality of a job in illustration and the responsibilities and constraints that come with raising a young family. Utilising any spare moment to write and record new ideas, his creative output under various projects had been relentless. Turning his back on apathetic major label offers in his early 20s, he's released through cult DIY label Tape Club Records, German stalwart !K7 Music and now with Scottish tastemaker Athens Of The North, presenting an evolving vision of a sound that has touched on everything from outsider art-rock to machine funk, mystic folk to experimental jazz.

City Pop / Reggae singer "Natsu Summer" releases new album in 2024! Produced by Cunimondo Takiguchi from Ryusenkei. Natsu Summer's latest release is a blend of danceable lovers' rock and soothing city pop, with ama-piano rhythms and steppers. Produced by Cunimondo Takiguchi of Ryusenkei, the album is not just reggae or city pop, but also throws out some new ideas. The cover of a hidden Japanese Lovers Rock song from the 90's, which is not easily released on record due to rights issues, is sure to attract attention!

Melbourne-based band Hiatus Kaiyote announces their forthcoming album Love Heart Cheat Code due June 28th via Brainfeeder Records / Ninja Tune. Alongside the announcement, the band shares their new single out “Make Friends,” the second offering from their upcoming project following their previously-released single “Everything’s Beautiful.” The band are also sharing a visual announcement of the album revealing the playful 3-D world of a family supermarket that the band have created to accompany the music.

A final unscripted addition to the album, “Make Friends” was inspired by words of wisdom imparted to the band by a friend who noted, “You don’t make friends, you recognize them.” Succinct yet profound, this sage insight reminded Nai of the lack of representation for deep, platonic love. “I wanted to have representation for just the different examples of people that I love from the women in my life, to the men, to my non-binary friends,” she shares, “and it was very natural and fun to work on as a formula.” The single is composed of one verse, but Nai takes that one verse through three gender permutations: female, male, and nonbinary. Nai adds, “When I sang the third verse, the ‘them/they’ verse, I actually had to stop. Just realizing that inclusivity is so often denied to some of the people that I love the most, my best besties.”

Love Heart Cheat Code is a snapshot of four musicians dancing together on the edge, 11 playful, exuberant tracks that shine light. Yet, for a band that made a name for itself with its complexity and received critical praise and multiple Grammy nominations for their embrace of maximalism, one of the most striking things about Love Heart Cheat Code is its simplicity. “I’m a maximalist. I complicate fucking everything,” Nai laughs. “But the more you go through things in life, you become more relaxed and uninhibited. Sometimes you can still have depth and reach people and really stop dancing around the fact: What do you want to communicate to people? And I feel like this album is a result of that clarity for us. We didn’t need to spell out complexity if the song didn’t call for it.”

Alice Russell is universally acclaimed as one of the best modern soul voices of our time, while her raw talent and charisma commands attention and affection. The much-loved British soulstress returns with the most personal album of her career. 'I Am' is vulnerable and bold while addressing how we must all work on ourselves to heal – so that we can love and connect with those and the world around us more honestly and with depth.

Life, loss and grief have been a central part of this period and a new approach to creating music: “Two little ones have joined me, and one has left - my dad passed away the summer after ‘To Dust’ was released. The day after my Dad’s funeral, I found out I was pregnant with my first little one.” Alice continues: “The grief journey has cracked me open and created a more urgent need to be focused and try to go deeper with how I communicate creatively and who I AM today, and I welcome it with open arms”.

Written and produced alongside long-time collaborator TM Juke, 'I Am' is the first offering of new music from the iconic singer in over a decade and marks a new era in the remarkable career of the down-to-earth vocal powerhouse. This summer, Alice graced the main stage of Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here, supported Nile Rogers and performed as part of a tribute to Aretha Franklin across France, marking her return to the stage, where she belongs.

Minimal synth-soul meets jazz guitar in a haze of lo-fi cool. Sit back, relax and enjoy the night drive. Recorded and mixed entirely on a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder, for that perfect lofi/basement feel. Nostalgic, suave, cosmopolitan, lustrous, and precise, Morris Mobley is an alter-ego engineered to chill vibes, and simultaneously blow minds. Transport into the neo-noir, a timeless environment of dimly-lit nightclubs, smoky spaces, and hazy visions, where razor-sharp vocals dance in tandem with a warm jazz-funk guitar, backed by the analog crispness of icy 808 hits and luxurious synth pads.

Saturday Night is the follow up to Carrtoons’ surprise hit "Homegrown" which has over 30 million streams globally and saw Carrtoons emerge as one of the most exciting new producers with over 40 million streams worldwide to date! Saturday Night will launch with Carrtoons’ biggest ever headline show at Teregram Ballroom in Los Angeles before he heads out on a national US tour with Butcher Brown throughout October.

Carrtoons has appeared at several UK festivals including Across The Tracks and Mutations and has toured the US with artists such as Mac Ayres and Duckwrth. He appeared at Montreal Jazz Festival 2023 and will be heading back to the UK/Europe on tour early '24.

The first single "Grace" features his long time collaborator Rae Khalil (currently making big moves of her own) who featured on the BBC playlisted “Lighta” on the last project!

The journey gives your senses a taste of a future groove, erotica and nu-disco exploitation. With Private Alex is stepping forward musically into a new club direction, bringing a fresh sound to the production with retro drum machines, synthesizers, house piano, and killer funky basslines. Open the door and walk through the secrets of the night with ”Submission”, ”Blue City Club”, ”Dark Room”, ”The Visitor” and the singles ”I Feel You”, ”Attraction” and ”Odyssey 9000”.

The "Weimar EP" from singer/songwriter Albyrd is not only his first release under a new moniker; as his first self-produced record, it also marks one of many new beginnings. The end of the pandemic, the blossoming and withering of relationships - and of course, a tribute to his time in the city and how life's perspectives change.

In 8 songs, Albyrd shows not only the range of his magnificent voice, but also how well soul and RnB can be interwoven with electronic music. With a feature from Miles Bonny, Mr. Lumberjack Soul himself, this tape is definitely one for the shelf.