Nu-Jazz | Broken Beat Vinyl 251 Items

Heralded by the “Soul Drum” 12” EP (scep507, 2022), Gerardo Frisina’s new double record “Joyful Sound” represents another step forward on his ongoing travel towards new musical paths. Joyful sounds narrate a journey made of wisely distilled notes, bright and sometimes mysterious atmospheres, harmonies that wander through shadows, silences, and lights. A chameleonic Gerardo enchants with every release, mixing jazz, Latin, Afro-Cuban sounds, oriental fragrances, electronic beats, tribal percussions, funky variations and, to summarize, elegant symphonic arrangements with refined mastery. “Joyful Sound” once again sees the participation of the late Enzo Frassi (double bass), Fabrizio Bernasconi (piano, Rhodes), Gendrickson Mena (trumpet, piano), Alfonso Deidda (sax, flute) and Ernesto Lopez (drums, percussion), with the addition of Piero Perelli on drums and Giovanni Guerretti on piano, Hammond and Rhodes. This new record, carefully orchestrated and produced by Gerardo, required over a year of intense work, however it is worth every second of its 75 minutes of music. As the great Charles Mingus once said, “Play it in the key of your soul”. Without a doubt, Gerardo always gives his soul in full!

New album by the maestro! Parrish's electronics getting blended with a good dose of Jazz & Soul influence - here the past collides with the future.

Analogue Attic presents the second solo release from label co-founder and one half of Albrecht La'Brooy.

6 stunning compositions to soundtrack your half-time break, or to celebrate the big win, 'There's Always Next Year' is a tribute to the misguided hopes and dreams of a sports fan. Field recordings and commentary from a range of codes weave between silky saxophone lines and piano chords in what is a textbook showcase of the classic Analogue Attic downtempo and early evening sound we've come to know.

Local jazz scenes keep evolving into new interesting variations, and this album by Copenhagen collective Jiyu, is no exception. A dusty brass opening, old as the sun, followed by a guitar/flute theme, driven by a lazy boom-clack beat, quickly outlines this hybrid-jazz sound, blown in from the future. The blend of dreamy, mellow jazz, hip hop, downbeat, bossa nova vibes, and cinematic electronic soundscapes, has caught the listeners attention worldwide, and the digital singles “So Many Moons to Go”, “King of Mañana” and “Parallel Dreams”, have made it to some serious jazz playlists on Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal. The album have been supported by radio dj’s in UK, DK, IT, ES and more… Jiyu is produced by guitar player and composer Emil Jonathan Søegaard A.K.A Low Pressure and former Stereo Deluxe recording artist EMO. The fellow musicians are, Bo Rande on trumpet, Lukas Rande on flute and sax. Carsten Skov on Vibraphone. Lennart Ginman on upright bass. Kinck on vocal, Thomas Dietl on drums, and AC. Woodman on Wurlitzer-piano.

Heralding the release of Memoirs of Hi-Tech Jazz, the forthcoming album by Detroit-born-and-based artist, Waajeed, the 12” features further examinations of the track’s motifs by the vaunted Detroit collective, Underground Resistance, Zambian producer SHE Spells Doom, and a special reimagining by Waajeed himself featuring live drums.

Alongside the LP version the three remixes further explore the links between Techno and Jazz, styles both founded on African traditions that make commentary on the present but are always oriented to potential hereafter.

On the People Mover Remix, Waajeed enlists the talents of Zo!, Tall Black Guy, Michele Manzo, and more to explore one extreme of the track’s musical heritage. Syncopated drums, driven by a full and bright snare drum, firmly place this version in the sphere of contemporary Jazz emanating from Detroit and cities across the US.

Coming from an album inspired by revolutionary efforts against oppression in Detroit and in Black locales around the world it is entirely fitting that Underground Resistance should provide their take on Motor City Madness. UR’s Mike Banks follows the lead of the original’s melange of genres. By thickening the bassline, peppering the mix with extra brass from the Mad Brass Horn Section, and adding strings courtesy of Six Mile Strings, UR further explore the dynamic intersection of music, history, and geography.

SHE Spells Doom closes the remix package with his second release on Tresor after his contribution to 2021’s Tresor30 compilation. The Zambian artist trims Motor City Madness down to the bones of the brass section and infuses them with a gqom beat, simultaneously referring to Jazz and Techno’s deepest roots in Africa, as well as suggesting where they might be headed in the future.

In 2002, New York producer Ursula 1000 released his groundbreaking, genre-busting album Kinda' Kinky, meshing groovy retro sampladelic licks with modern breaks and beats. For its 20th anniversary this year, Ursula revisits the 60's swinging London mod shaking title track with his own 2022 redux. UK breakbeat master A.Skillz remixes the flipside into a relentless, giggling funky disco monster! The cover design is by world renowned space-age bachelor pad artist Shag.

Released for the first time in CD and Digital format in 2017 this is the sixth album by Luca Trevisi LTJ Xperience It contains some of his most played songs such as Get Down, Let There Be Groove, Put Me Down and the one that gives the title to the album Beggar Groove here in its two versions. The release is in a limited edition double album on White vinyl. Luca LTJ Trevisi (ltj Xperience) trained as a producer DJ in the late 1980s. Resident first at the Kinki Club in Bologna and then at Cap Creus in Imola, he is one of the first Italian DJs to program house and above all to re-propose Black Music, Jazz and Latin Bossa, all the genres that then over time gave way to Acid Jazz and Nu Jazz. He began his work as an artist and producer with Irma Records and in the 90s also his activity as an international DJ who saw him play at the Blue Note and the Jazz Café in London, at the Giant Steps in New York and at the Jazz Festival in Montreaux.

The tune-whistling DJ collective Siffleur are back with two quasi-mashup remixes of retro pop that combine Italian nostalgia, soulful beats, and Jamaican jungle vibes. This is a brilliantly smooth and playful blend, perfect for chilling out and languorous dancing.

Regrowth' by Sampology is an album that his last two EPs 'Natural Selections' & 'Mt Glorious' have built towards. Despite his love for sampling - with the exception of the Mariana Ingold sample on the opening song on 'Regrowth (Peace Lily)' - all of the samples you hear on the album are recorded from scratch either in his home studio or on his travels over the past four years. Regrowth has string quartets, woodwind, full 20-piece choirs, vibraphones, double bass, various pianos and synths. Vinyl package includes a die cut 3mm spine outer sleeve revealing a beautiful foliage wrapped inner sleeve which includes full liner notes For every 500 copies of vinyl pressed, Middle Name Records will commit to planting 100 trees through the fantastic work from ReForest Now. www.reforestnow.org.au

We are really proud to introduce a new release on Mawimbi Records: "Mawimbi, Vol. 2”. Its title is a nod to “Mawimbi, Vol. 1”, which was the inaugural release of our record label back in 2015. A new compilation, at last, after a decade of music activism and a handful of EPs and albums which have helped unearth some of today’s talents from the new global music scene (Onipa, Loya, Afriquoi, Raz & Afla). It stays true to the driving principles of our artistic direction: support upcoming artists, e ncourage the breaking down of musical frontiers, help make happen new encounters between electronic music and so-called “afro” music. While these encounters can now be witnessed anywhere in pop music’s current zeitgeist, from Beyoncé to South African’s vibrant amapiano scene, we think there’s still plenty to explore.
“Mawimbi, Vol. 2” truly feels like the culmination of a long path for our record label. Because it includes artists who have been actively contributing to the Mawimbi adventure over the years, and also because it’s another convincing testimony of the fruitfulness of this musical intuition we have so heartily been defending for the last decade. Indeed, the 8 tracks of “Mawimbi, Vol. 2” resist all the usual labels. They sound like they stem more from human encounters and artistic dialogues launched in the moment than attempts to be associated with any music scene in particular. Each of the 8 pieces of this compilation presents in a unique way the search for this cross-pollinating sound.
The compilation opens with a really engaging rework of James Stewart’s classic track “Cotonou” by Lyon-based tropical music enthusiasts Voilaaa, who took Peter Solo’s voodoo soul lines on a trip across the Black Atlantic beginning with a horn-heavy cuban cha-cha-cha before falling into a savory triple time dance. As tireless sonic adventurers, Amsterdam-based duo Umoja have brought back a handful of hits from their numerous trips to Kenya meeting with local benga musicians. “Avana Va” is one of their compelling tunes, featuring Kenyan musician and producer Sidney Simila. This urge to collaborate with musicians from across the African continent is also to be found in Village Cuts’ ever expanding discography. On “Sentima”, they showcase their trademark London funky sound, introducing us to the talents of Congolese guitarist and singer Kissangwa.

Afriquoi’s 2020 hit “Ndeko Solo” is presented in a brand new shape, sprinkled with some French Touch flavours. “Djansa”, by Toulouse-based producers Mr. Boom, rides a distinct South African-inspired groove, while inviting us to a nighttime dance by the Balearic sea. On “Silent Runner”, French producer and musician Ozferti moulds his own musical galaxy where East African scales meet cutting edge global club beats. With “Nabi Kumi”, Anglo-Ghanaian duo Raz & Afla delivers their deepest piece, once again inducing a state of trance with a triple-time beat and an hypnotic kora loop. Closing the compilation, “It's Holy” is a unique collaboration between Tom Excell (Onipa, Nubiyan Twist, David Walters) and Dizraeli, one of the most interesting voices in British rap, which by making connections between broken beat, jazz and african music, illustrates the precious mixture of musical aesthetics that make up the current UK musical landscape

For more than a decade, Freak Heat Waves have been steadily amassing a cult following and earning acclaim from both critics and underground aficionados alike. Their music is a heady cocktail that defies easy categorization, blending elements of post-punk, psych, dub, ambient, house, and techno. Their eclectic sound has served as the soundtrack to countless DIY punk shows, outsider galleries and sleazy discos, establishing the duo as iconoclasts with a reputation for ignoring expectations and subverting genre conventions. While at times, the term ‘acquired taste’ may have seemed fitting, their latest release offers their most alluring output to date. Mondo Tempo, the duo's fifth LP, released through Vancouver's Mood Hut, was primarily recorded at their home studios in Montreal and Victoria. Building upon the electronic explorations of their previous record, Zap The Planet (Telephone Explosion), they inject their signature sound with a smoother and sweeter blend of dance music. The album’s tracks feature midi smoothness, trance mantras, dancehall grooves, ambient textures and vocal samples, creating a world that is both captivating and immersive. Notably, the lead single “In A Moment Divine” features a collaboration with Cindy Lee, resulting in a dance floor number that boldly ventures beyond the familiar wheelhouses of both acts. With Mondo Tempo Freak Heat Waves solidify their reputation as one of the most exciting and unpredictable acts around.

After a convincing self-released EP in 2019 and a first introduction on BMM Records with a track feature on the "Groove Dingueries Vol. 1" compilation, Swiss quartet mohs. present their debut album "Mirage", an ode to creativity. Guitarist Erwan Valazza, trumpeter Zacharie Ksyk, bassist Gaspard Colin and drummer Nathan Vandenbulcke distill jazz, hip hop and afrobeat elements in an ocean of blissful synths while keeping a wary eye on the sound texture. From the funky instrumentation surrounding Fang The Great's vocals on "Heartbreaker" to the the nostalgic guitar loops of "Mirage", all the way to the relaxing, almost ambient soundscapes of "Lonely Cowboy", this album will comfort your ears like a warm blanket.

The Mechanical Man is something of a hero amongst deep house heads, so US label Selections are rightly buzzed to have him on board. He opens up with a lively broken beat number lavished with a superb r&b vocal sample and sunny chords on 'Be Down.' He sinks into a more cuddly and smoky house groove on 'Let It Ride' and allows the pensive leads to take over as you head through the stars. 'The Night In The North Area' has a fresh bassline darting about underneath muted chords that bring a Detroit feel. Last of all is the soulful joy of 'You Know It's True', another one with a classic sample smartly worked into a scuffed-up deep house shuffle.

Baby Mammoth’s seventh album, helpfully titled “Seven Up”, was originally released on CD in 2001 by Pork Recordings (Dave ‘Porky’ Brennand and Steve Cobby) who were behind household names “Fila Brazillia” and “Bullitnuts”, pioneering the sound of the late 90s / early 2000s downtempo, ambient, and trip hop scene. In collaboration with Pork Recordings, Seven Up is now being released by Musical Charis on vinyl for the first time. Baby Mammoth mastered the sound of downtempo lounge in this album which has stood the test of time, warranting its re-release. In this album, Baby Mammoth stay true to their traditional funky downtempo course, while the guitar plucks and modulations of “1” certainly make for a joyful listen. "And I'll See You" leans heavily on a vocal sample from Jimmy Scott's “Under the Sycamore Tree” and provides a nice introduction for the swoops in “Baroque 'n' Roll” which drift in on clouds of strings. “Frozen” gets bubblier and "Pink Elephants" gets more spare and groovier with its bongo and flute-driven sensation (a real crowd favourite!). Indeed, they maintain a sense of fun throughout the album, keeping things on the lighter side, driving up the dub reverb on "Deadpool”, or engaging with some vocal snippets on “Frank's Angels”. Baby Mammoth will have you giddy with this release on vinyl.

Soulful, jazz-infused broken beats from Berlin! Incredibly talented jazz pianist and producer Yoofee debuts on Casa Voyager! A must-have for both: sensitive souls and sophisticated groove lovers. Tested and approved.

Initially planned as a trilogy, given the success of this project, the series of 12” EPs featuring reinterpretations of tracks from the album “People Need People” - the brilliant work by Nicola Conte and Gianluca Petrella released in 2021 - closes with this fourth chapter, with the excellent contribution of Fred P. and his Interpretations. Artist, DJ, Producer, Remixer and A/V Designer - born in New York and now living in Berlin - Fred P. has encompassed what it truly means to be an artist in the 21st century. With a discography growing exponentially year after year, he continues to push forward in his sound and his mind. These two new interpretations of his constitute a little jewel in which Fred P. offers us a skilful blend where afro, jazz and house music create a cosmic spiritual journey at times nocturnal, suitable for the most sophisticated dance floors - in both cases with different rhythmic patterns, broken-afro for “African Spirits” and cosmic-house for “Tribes”, Fred creates here an open space, deep and simply at the centre of the music!

Ever since he remixed Abimaro & The Free’s ‘Mark’ back in 2014, NuNorthern Soul boss Phil Cooper has kept in touch with Daniel Stenger, the producer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist behind the Flashbaxx project. Cooper was always convinced that Sanger would be capable of crafting a very special release for the label but was willing to give him time to come up with something special.

With Take Care My Friend, a mini-album inspired by the German producer’s deeply rooted love of jazz-funk, Stenger has repaid the faith shown in him. He’s delivered a collection of quality cuts marked out by audible warmth, effortless musicality and memorable, sun-soaked songs.

As he makes clear in the liner notes included with the vinyl version of the mini album, the project began with the recording of luscious, Rhodes-laden opener ‘Alright’. After staying up all night recording the track, Stenger not only decided to continue recording with the same relatively limited set of instruments (think bass and electric guitars, drums, piano, electric piano, organ, hand percussion and a handful of synthesizers), but also stick to a hybrid sound that added a subtle Latin shuffle to his Balearic-minded take on jazz, funk and soul fusion.

We’re biased of course, but there’s no denying that Stenger’s creative choices have resulted in a superb set of tracks. While the restricted kit list provided focus during the music-making process, there’s still plenty of musical variety across the six tracks that make up the set.

For proof, compare and contrast the jazzy, loose-limbed headiness of ‘It Just Happens’, where simmering synth-strings, twinkling melodic motifs and glistening guitar licks rise above smooth jazz-funk bass and a gentle broken beat rhythm, and the slow-motion soul brilliance of ‘Strangers’, where Kathryn Kempf’s evocative and poignant lead vocals rise above a sumptuous downtempo groove and heart-aching piano lines.

This subtly varied but musically coherent vibe continues across the mini album. Stenger indulges in a bit of New York daydreaming on ‘Brooklyn Love Boat’, a wonderfully musically detailed chunk of 1970s style jazz-funk heat that offers knowing nods to Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock and the jazz-fusion stylings of Azymuth, before opting for a deeper, slower and even more seductive sound on the Hammond-sporting bliss of ‘Take Care My Friend’.

Closing cut ‘City Lights’, a gorgeous, soft-focus affair smothered in echoing Rhodes riffs and immersive chords, has the feel of an underground classic in waiting: a stirring, string-drenched future sing-along whose emotion-packed lyrics are delivered brilliantly by Glasgow-born singer/songwriter Chris Pookah.

Despite the song’s subject matter – the painful final breakdown of a relationship – there’s something strangely uplifting about the combination of Pookah’s pitch-perfect vocal delivery and the absorbing warmth of Stenger’s comforting and sonically detailed music. It provides a fittingly impressive finish to a mightily immersive mini album.

Beanfield’s mega classic re-release in a double 12” pack with old and new remixes by Toto Chiavetta and Art Department and a new Beanfield track. “Tides” was originally released in 2004 and evolved into an all-time club anthem by means of Carl Craig’s huge remix (C's Movement #1), followed-up by the stunning Ripperton remix.

The ever masterful London based DJ/Producer Shy One is back with a new 5 track EP titled From The Floor To The Booth. Following on from the fuzzy, acidic haze of the vinyl only Crumb Trail 7 inch the new EP encompasses futher rich and eclectic sounds of Shy's musical heritage, London leaning from Broken Beat to Soul, Garage to Grime. The record journeys through and abstracts a variety of styles, tipping its cap to the archtectics of Londons musical underground from Soul II Soul and 4Hero to Loose Ends and Roll Deep. A notion every bit apparent in Shy's eclectic bass heavy, hi-energy club selections. The record is Shy One's most in-depth and ambitious release to date. The artwork is created by Herald Essuman of Artbox London. An incredible London based charity that supports artists with Autism and learning disabilities.

The train hurtled forward, rocking side to side as field after field rushed by under an unmoving sky. Her gaze was transfixed on the blurred landscape that passed her by. Behind her, she had left a city with lifelong memories, and as her mind cast back to thoughts of home, a salty tear welled in her eye. It did not fall. She yearned to go back, but her heart knew that this would never again be possible. Inhaling, she held her breath for a moment, almost unexpectedly. A nostalgia was within her, but she knew she must continue, direct her own life and maintain this motion before it dwindled into inertia. She exhaled and the tear rolled down. Looking out toward the horizon she dabbed her cheek, then gently sat upright. Her journey was only just beginning.

Tübingen born, then Frankfurt raised Berlin artist - Johannes Klingebiel, unleashes a potent and untiringly emotive work for the fourth imprint on Amsterdam’s Bloomer Records. A man of many disciplines, he combines his background in jazz drumming with an insatiable appetite for all varieties of electronic music.

Beginning with fond nostalgia that is juxtaposed by the driving motion of organic breakbeats, one is immediately engulfed. Rich synth leads play on minor chord variations to begin and work towards complex and richly cinematic compositions. After the first four tracks, ‘Break Something’ stutters in with a club-ready feel. Capable of both at-home and party environments, this thought-provoking release cannot be boxed into clear-cut categories.

Johannes Klingebiel uses delicate percussion skills to speak to his electronic orchestra. His lust for crisp, clean breaks results in an often inexorable motion that punctuates pensive chords and crescendos. Beginning with breakbeat variations the release ebbs towards half-time drum structures, IDM and experimental expressions later on. Among these quirky and often nostalgic gems, one can find a few driving and noticeably danceable numbers, offering glimpse of familiarity amidst emotive and inquisitive soundscapes.

Deepening of a Groove is the new album, the fifth dedicated to the research of sounds Disco Funk from its origins revisited by today's rhythms and the dancefloor feeling of 2000. For the first time on this album 4 sung songs appear. Bad Side (already released in single version) and Infiltrator are sung by Anduze, soul singer from Los Angeles also known for his collaboration with Parov Stelar. I'm Gonna Funk U and Stranger are sung by the Marche singer AdniL for the first time in collaboration with LTJ.

From a previous album dedicated exclusively to Soul music by the Roman producer Nerio Papik Poggi, this new project in the artistic name 'The Soultrend Orchestra' was born in 2017. The album titlereleased that year, '84 King Street', definied the musical genre to which it is dedicated. In fact, the address is that of the legendary New York club Paradise Garage from where Disco music in the late 70s was definitively launched all over the world by deejays David Mancuso and Larry Levan in the first place. So Soul and Disco are the predominance of this first album which has had great success in the sector so much so that the band has performed live in important European festivals. This new album entitled Live For Funk starts from where the first left us musically to enter much more on the Funk sound, especially the English one of the early 80s and the American one linked to jazz musicians such as Donald Byrd or Roy Ayers who have been re-evaluated so much in the years starting from the Acid Jazz scene from the 90s onwards. 15 songs in total, including three covers, all three already released as digital singles. The three covers are remakes of cult songs from past years in the Disco Funk world and exactly Get Down Saturday Night by Oliver Cheatham, Outstanding by the Gap Band and Act Like You Know by the Fat Larry's Band. In the project Nerio Poggi brought with him his historical musicians such as Alfredo Bochicchio on guitars, Peter De Girolamo on keyboards, Massimo Guerra on trumpet, Fabio Tullio on sax, Simone 'Federicuccio' Talone on percussion and Luca Trolli on drums. In addition to a dozen other guest musicians also 8 different singers among which the names of Alan Scaffardi, Al Castellana, Kenneth Bailey and Danny Losito of Kaigo stand out.

For a prolific artist as Gerardo Frisina, almost two years without a new release from him seems like an eternity: this brand new 12" EP entitled 'Soul Drum' breaks the silence, giving us three new works composed by Gerardo, made up of four recordings if we consider the two versions of the title track.

This EP anticipates the full album already in the works, scheduled for release at the end of 2022.

Without losing his Latin trademark, Gerardo continues his research into hypnotic and pulsating rhythmic patterns in both acoustic and electronic form, which are now a fundamental stylistic element of his. As on his previous album 'Moving Ahead', the rhythmic style blends naturally with echoes of tribal voices, piano keys and wind instruments (trumpet, saxophone, flute), creating the 'Joyful Sound' (title of the forthcoming album) that reverberates on the surface. With an artist as meticulous as Gerardo Frisina, it is to be expected that even the simplest beat has been deeply thought out and chosen from a potentially infinite sound palette, and this can be heard perfectly in the depth of sound of the four tracks of this release. "Soul Drum" is dedicated to the loving memory of bassist Enzo Frassi, who contributed to this EP - along with 'usual guests' Fabrizio Bernasconi, Gendrickson Mena, Alfonso Deidda and Ernesto Lopez.

A little masterpiece brimming with exoticism, whimsicality and psychedelia, presented here in two different versions recorded by Enzo Minuti and his group in 1981 – an afro-dub one propelled by sax, synths, percussion and weirdly processed choir vocals (side A), and a tropical-downtempo mix with claves and flute exuding Caribbean/cinematic vibes (side B). Both perfect for a sunset DJ set.

Techno legend Jeff Mills and keyboard wizard Jean-Phi Dary embark on an exciting, ground-breaking musical trip that takes Techno and electronic dance music to a new level. In the past Jeff has spoken of the need to, "take a few steps back and try andassess what has been done, and what might need to be approached to be able to go forward." Paradox: Live at Montreux is the result.

The new collaborative project between Deborah Jordan and K15 explores the concept of our own humanity while attempting to address what does in fact make each of us human. While the inspired pairing of revered singer and songwriter, Deborah Jordan, alongside the boundless versatility of producer and musician K15 (Kieron Ifill) for a whole album seems too good to be true, this is actually a project that each of their respective roads have been converging towards for years.

The songs throughout ‘Human’ beautifully embrace the array of styles that both Jordan and Ifill have become attributed to – from the brilliant Culross Close-esque production of album opener ‘Running’ to the twinges of broken beat found in ‘Innervision’ and the more acoustic, piano-driven tracks like ‘Change’. The masterful production is both sparse and intricate affording Jordan’s typically incredible vocal the appropriate space to explore these sonic soundscapes in her own inimitable way while expressing those very characteristics about our own humanity.

With seven releases - including this one - on Schema Records and three - considering also the Cosmorama project - on Milano 2000, Stefano Tirone has tightened his collaboration with the Edizioni Ishtar group. He is today one of the label’s most popular artists, with more than 300.000 monthly listeners and millions of plays of his acclaimed hits on Spotify – more than 3 million overall for his recent digital singles “Blow My Mind” and “No Meio Do Samba”. His previous full-length Body & Soul shows influences from the early ’90s British acid jazz scene and his deep love for the ’70s soul, Brazilian and jazz music that constitute the basic foundations of S-Tone Inc. Here, instead of asking other artists to remix his tracks, Stefano has decided to do that himself, reworking in a nu-disco key the entire “Body & Soul” record, herein named “The Disco Experience”. The title and the graphic layout take us to a period in time between late ’70s and early ’80s when the artist as a teenager, completely absorbed by the sound of disco music, used to go to clubs and discotheques to listen and dance to those unmistakable sonic frequencies. In those years the American DJ Larry Levan and the Italian Mozart and Baldelli used to play their music in front of crowded disco halls, while record labels such as Prelude and Solar set the standards with artists such as D-Train, Sharon Redd, Whispers, Shalamar and their soulful vocals combined to strong basslines, funky guitars and uptempo rhythms. This is how “Body & Soul - The Disco Experience” was born, as an homage to the music that Stefano used to immerse in during those adventurous years, with a few exceptions: “No Meio Do Samba”, a tribute to the house sound of Frankie Knuckles in the early ’90s, and the two downbeat tracks “Flying Away”, with its essential R&B arrangement, and “Midnight Sun”, that keeps its cinematic mood but with a more funky attitude. “Odoya” is the only track remixed by The Invisible Session in a minimal spacey disco arrangement that fits perfectly with the overall sound of the album.

For Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber, the idea of rebirth is a creative driving force - an artistic device which not only informs their work, but anchors it. As the avant-garde electronic group Tosca, the two artists have lived many musical lives, from their early electronic experiments with tape decks to the blissed-out dub compositions with which they have made their name. Their latest project, Osam, takes this idea of renewal even further. A meditative journey through rhythm and texture, the album represents a new chapter for the Austrian duo. It's as much an instrument for change as it is a source of inspiration. 'Osam' is a direct translation of the number eight in Serbian, but it also acts as the mediaeval symbol for a fresh start - a renaissance. This is their ninth studio album but in true Tosca style when they started working on the concept for the record, they thought it was their eighth.

Introducing Abunai - multiinstrumentalist and singer from Oakland, California Dreamy, psychedelic, electronic soul featuring co-productions by Max Graef and Glenn Astro Early support from Gilles Peterson and Don Letts,

It works in clubs. it works at after hours. Also, small bars vibrate meaningful on it: the music of Kuniyuki Takahashi enthralls everywhere and is made for heedful listeners, that love the thrill of little musical nuances, shifting in a deeply composed ocean of sound.

In terms of composition, melodic sensitivity, and subtle progression the music of japanese producer, Sound designer and dj stands out. Ambient, Future-Jazz, Deep House, Leftfield Elec-tronics: since more then 25 years the man from Sapporo expresses his emotions with a wide stylistic range.

As Kuniyuki or under pseudonyms like Koss or Newwave project, he released a body of work consisting of numerous albums and EP’s, that display his deep musical consciousness pro-foundly. Now his home label Mule Musiq drops “Remix Works “, an eighth tune strong compila-tion featuring for the second time since 2013 Kuniyuki Takahashi’s very own virtuosity of re-mixing.

A double vinyl that carries the full pallet of his skills – from yacht rock leaning synth-pop and balearic dreams to sweet wave signals and soulful Pop House.

It all starts with Kuniyuki’s Remix of “Plateau”, a tune by japanese Nu-Jazz / Post‐Rock band mouse on the keys, released in 2013 on the short living japanese retalk label. An epic, almost ten-minute-long house voyage, full of discreet acid shades and enlightening Jazz chords, that play spirited tricks on each other’s manic musical preaching.

Stepping Hill EP Kicks off with a classic cut ‘Planets’ a straight up Bruk workout, reminiscent of the original CoOp days when Seiji’s Loose Lips was running the dance red hot! These crunchy Bruk step drums keep this jam running with vocal chops, talking philosophy about the planets and language, while lush chords, bleeps and a fat round bassline roll through to keep the energy moving, what else does one need to fling foot on the floor! (Try saying that fast!) One for the steppers! The second track takes us on a more 2 step UKG vibe, baring the other strings to Szajna’s bow. ‘Pavement groove' is a proper soulful roller featuring London born, Manchester based Yemi Bolatiwa, a talented vocalist and songwriter who is a leading light of the Manchester music scene. Working with orchestras, bands and DJs in a range of different genres, a versatile performer as her recent single, ‘Water’, showed. On Szajna’s ‘Pavement Groove’ Yemi’s soulful vocals flow in and out of the 2 step rhythm and jazzy chords with low end sub basses laying foundations to the groove. Then to finish off the A side Szajna pulls out Tape Cut, another sweet roller, more breakbeat than Broken-beat but still chopping it with that Bruk essence. Chords and percussion dance with the drums until a hypnotic flute introduces itself. It’s uplifting, playful, beatsy, bassy with dubbed out FX, a perfect bridge to the B side. B1 rolls in with D.R Juice, a fave in the office, hitting all the right buttons in a Bruk dance floor sense. Dark and moody with proper chunky broken drums syncopated with this stab that gives the whole thing a kind of wobble while dubbed out sirens bleed through the tight hi-hats and deep bassline. We’ve been playing this one for a while and can’t wait to mash the dance with this one ! All you Bruk Steppers, S P R E A D O U T ! Like you’d need any more after that, Szajna lays down more soothing soulful garage esq beats on ‘Feeling’ with singer songwriter for The Darling Mundaring, London based, Crystal Alice, who has gathered a wide respect for encapsulating music that draws the listener into an unforgettable and intense experience, vocalist Crystal entices the listener with her soft sultry melodies that tell stories about love, loss, life and redemption. Finishing off with Low ft Rosco G, skippy drum patterns once again keeping up that nod to UKG with piano chords and a muted Miles Davis style trumpet from Manchesters Rosco G. Smooth as you like, a laid back head nodder, that gangsta lean shit. Early support from IG Culture (CoOp), Worldwide FM, Tuck Shop Music, Alex Nut (Eglo Records), Don Pascal, Mark Tilley, Mikey Do

‘SON’ was recorded in London and Freetown between 2019-21. Inspired by the pair’s shared love of choral music, it began as an experiment to explore playing with the voice in more creative ways, using layered vocals as an instrument following piano harmony, arrangement and sampling.

The project started in London with the title track and became a story about a world in which we hide our true ‘colours’ in order to fit in. A mother tells her son that he needs to fit in to survive before realising that she is following the same tropes passed on to her as a child. Following this realisation she encourages her son to protect his dreams and not to listen to anybody telling him he can’t be whatever he chooses.

Rosie joined Duval for a week in Freetown in February 2020 where they wrote the rest of the project, bringing friends Daniel Koroma, Kandeh Bangura, Valentine Coker, Chino Greene and Tom Herbert in for musical contributions;

“We were interested in bringing our surroundings into the recordings; leaving doors open, recording in different spaces and locations, inviting the listener to experience the life that was going on around us whilst capturing the process”.

Full-colour inner sleeve
Illustrations by Duval Timothy
Insert of a specially commission Julianknxx poem
Shrink-wrapped

“Son” will be released digitally and on limited-edition green vinyl on November 12th via Carrying Colour. The music was written, performed and produced by Duval Timothy and Rosie Lowe, mixed by Marta Salogni and mastered by Heba Kadry. The artwork was designed by Duval Timothy.

Massimo Napoli is a DJ from Catania with a passion for jazz and black music. He began his musical career in the early 90s playing funk, hip hop, and acid jazz in clubs, contributing to the spreading of the most eclectic and refined sounds in Sicily.

Departing from club culture with particular emphasis on electronic dub, Galathea unfolds into many influences and styles, making it a unique listening experience. Mediterranean culture, afro and cinematic melodies, jazz, spiritual echoes, and soothing beats lead the listener into a subliminal escape, where the fluidity and the convergence of genres freely progress into a dream-like journey. In

"Afrique," the melody and the rhythmic Nigerian Afro-funk blend with dub tonalities into a subtle listening experience, enriched by Kadi Koulibaly's vocal performance in the unreleased video version for the first time on vinyl

"Sunset Dub" was written in collaboration with musician and producer Salvo Dub; the song starts with a dynamic and percussive session and progresses into minimal dub tones and electronic. An alternative vibe version of it never released before is the perfect blend for a barefoot dance by the sea

“This is African Jazz" never releases on Vinyl is inspired by the Savannah sounds; it carries the listener on a refined journey accompanied by an African dub and percussions.

Welcome to Nope23. Created by Jaguar Skills. Born from his love of underground Hip-Hop, Funk and Soul, ‘The Savage Planet’ by Jaguar Skills is his label’s first broadcast. Utilising a band of experienced musicians to create the project, ‘The Savage Planet’ is 8 tracks, 23 minutes and 23 seconds of experimental Hip-Hop Funk, interwoven with official adverts and soundbites direct from the Nope23 vault. Featuring the vocal skills of rapper Crimeapple (Soul Assassins), New York MC Johnny Storm, guitar legend Simon Katz (Jamiroquai/ Gorillaz), renowned bass player Zoltan (Erka Badu), flautist Rowen Harwood, alongside the beat alchemist himself; Jaguar Skills. ‘The Savage Planet’ confirms once again, that Jaguar Skills is not of planet Earth. Stay tuned for more fly sh*t. Nope23. For freaks and pencil necked geeks.

Mmyykk’s Science EP arrives at a time when the world needs it. The eponymous title track is about recognising the power and connection that we all have to the cosmos - and it feels like no coincidence that this body of work arrives in 2021.

The EP balances universal themes with playfulness; asks hard questions relating to accountability and materiality whilst remaining musically cohesive and funky throughout. An exceedingly difficult artist to pigeonhole, Mmyykk (pronounced Mike) works concurrently within the realms of soul, jazz, hip hop, R&B and ambient; his sound equally indebted to his fellow west-coast natives Thundercat and Flying Lotus as it is to synth experimentalists Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder.

Whilst Mmyykk operates as the multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer & engineer across all 6 tracks, we can still hear the richness of improvisation musical collaboration involved in the making of this record, with numerous cameos from artists in Mmyykk’s adopted hometown of Minneapolis as well as a feature from London’s very own Demae.

The city of Minneapolis, whilst not addressed directly in the lyrics, provided a backdrop like no other whilst this album was coming together. Being at the epicentre of such a tragedy had a profound effect on the formation of the EP... “The City was literally burning...” Mmyykk recalls as he goes on to explain that tackling themes such as police reform, reparations and accountability in his work is his way of taking a stand in the fight for justice.

Despite the grief prevalent in the city, the EP exudes a complex “dopeness”, executed so effortlessly it belies the skill involved in the process - it’s precisely this nonchalant cool that defines what Science means to the artist.

Whilst we can dissect the inspirations and trace the lineage of this body of work- the result is singular. It’s clear that Mychal Fisher, aka Mmyykk is operating on his own terms, in a lane of his own - and making it look easy.

Honing your skills is under-appreciated in times of instant gratification and the continuous stream of music. Rotterdam-based producer Kofi The Unknown subverts this idea and took time for spiritual introspection, studying rhythms and sound production. Where being a late bloomer normally is seen as a sobriquet, the producer, composer and beatmaker wears it as a badge of honour and solidifies it as an honorary title by pinning it to his debut EP on Wicked Wax: The Late Bloomer. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, Kofi The Unknown shares his journey that led to The Late Bloomer, an emotional journey through sophisticated dance music, straight from the heart, aimed at the soul and feet.

Highly influential to Kofi’s sound and this EP is London’s Broken Beat scene. Syncopated drums, soulful chords and heavy bass lines work in tandem to emphasise the danceability the genre is known for. This is further solidified by the track Kofi released leading up to this release: One for Motet, an ode to the Broken Beat MC and Jazz Refreshed host Jason Hicks. The Late Bloomer further develops Kofi’s ode, but provides his Rotterdam flavour and brings his Hip Hop and Funk lineage into the mix.

Embrace Mistakes sets the stage for what’s to come in various ways. It is a textbook case of how dance music can tell a story and be introspective. Kofi’s honesty shines bright on the entire EP and strikes from the first kick drum on. It also shouldn’t be hard to recognise and feel the emotion the producer shares on the title track The Late Bloomer. The emotionally-laced chords and crushing drums are reminiscent of late nights at a warehouse or emotional sequences from a dystopian movie.

Staying true to his ethos ’exploring the university that music holds’, Kofi finds this beyond music production as The Late Bloomer provides an audible experience through creative mixing. Stuttering analog synths, enveloping leads, multiple percussion rhythms and off-beat snare rolls hit from all directions of the stereo spectrum, further underlining the sophistication of his merit. While the EP follows the Broken Beat accents on dance, it is an equally mindful listening experience.

Kofi The Unknown is a Rotterdam native producer with a knack for rhythms. His keen ear is informed by mentor and Dutch enigma Trian Kayhatu. While Kofi has taken the time to perfect his skills under the guidance of Trian, the two are simultaneously working on the exciting follow-up project to this debut EP. Without looking too far ahead, enjoy The Late Bloomer. It’s not only a crown jewel Kofi proudly wears, it is also establishing him as a future household name in the sophisticated dance scene. "

Sen Am is an enduring and tender album, rich and beguiling and generous in a quiet way. Over the last few years, I find myself returning to it, listening and absorbing, reflecting on the voices and working through the multiple layers of feelings and themes it announces with confidence and equanimity. Notions of care and contradiction, expressions of joy and desire and the underlying feeling of unease and turmoil; there is an urgent appeal to the listener for generosity, to strengthen our capacity to hear multiple voices simultaneously, to exist in multiple places at once.

Duval Timothy’s music was dropped into our world from another realm sometime in the spring of 2017. We received the call and we answered it. The rhythm and spirit was transmitted via London’s NTS Radio on the Do!! You!!! Breakfast Show with Charlie Bones and a short while later we were listening to the first vinyl edition of Sen Am in our living room in Berlin. The record got a lot of plays (at home and at some shows, before and after performances). It was like sunlight filtering through a cracked window and remaining there for a moment, dancing. Blue music emanating from a liminal zone, an in-between space, somewhere on the outskirts of Freetown, or rural Sierra Leone, or the outer edges of South London, or Bath, UK, or some undisclosed orbit, unfixed location. The music is soaked in diasporic experiences. It refuses to settle but still invites us to enter and stay awhile in that zone, where multiple forms exist (all) together with jazz, hip-hop, various strands of expressive electronics and experimental music all breathing together and moving around. It is a portal to a place of possibilities, a space for building and repairing possible and lost connections. But life in that liminal zone is precarious; it is life under duress; under pressure – not merely the pressure to produce a presentable, categorizable, and salable body of work, but the pressure that compels us to experiment and create new concepts and things that will help us imagine a different existence, a way out of the turbulence.

Freetown is a marvellous and sometimes sad place. It is one of those unmistakable locations inscribed diasporic memory; a place that touches you, a place that holds you and demands you bear witness: witness to pain, poverty, joy and desire. You remember the voices and the eyes of people even in momentary encounters. In Sen Am, you hear not only Duval’s recollections and sounds of Freetown, you hear family and friendship, people coming together and forming bonds, creating surrogate families. Forging community wherever you go is a practice, and community is at the core of this music. It’s in all the voices, from Emmerson and 6pac to Aminata and Aruna. It opens up a space for Black voices, for Sierra Leonean voices, and those voices extend through the succeeding projects, the 2 Sim EP and the album Help, and all that radiates from Duval’s Carrying Colour imprint.

Thank you for the invitation to write about the album Sen Am, on the occasion of its re-release which also coincides with the release of the exquisite double 7” Smɔl Smɔl with cktrl — a wonderful piece which calls on the listener to play both records at the same time to hear the music or play them separately and hear different versions. Duval is strengthening us, encouraging us to feel comfortable with discomfort, with incompleteness, with the hard-to-understand. This is a beautiful thing.

Glenn Astro returns to Tartelet Records with Purple, a four-tracker of minimal slow burners and futuristic dance music, marking the label’s 50th 12-inch release. Since releasing his second album Homespun in late 2020, Glenn Astro has been quietly channeling his funky instincts towards new production approaches. Purple, a four-piece compilation of mutant future-boogie daubed in Rogers-Nelson hues, comes through with emotional heft. It also marks the 50th 12" release for Tartelet Records. “Following up on Homespun, I wanted to try out some more dancefloor- oriented tracks again,” says Glenn Astro. “Keeping it simple and practical, while not being too predictable. I incorporated a lot of modular synth bits and experiments, with ‘Flux’ being an almost exclusively modular-based jam.” Incorporating tricky sound design and fluid structures, Astro’s new lines of enquiry never come at the expense of the groove. From the opening thump of ‘Penduloop’ onwards it’s apparent that his rugged rhythmic kinks are present and correct to hook in the dancers, while the melodic drops later in the track edge in a little melancholic flavour to take the mind somewhere else entirely. On this opening track, the artist explores new territory with his version of early naughties minimal house – a welcome slow burner. The EP title track ‘Purple’ slaps with purpose, not least in the Linn-esque drums and melodic bassline, but it’s a positively dreamy piece which skips on crooked beat formations and floats upwards via a multi-timbral tapestry of yearning synth shapes and robotic vocals. On ‘Out Of Office’ Glenn Astro provides a generous dose of electro nostalgia when he amps up the heavy-hearted feeling with aching string pads and electro-informed machine logic. The track becomes alive with its deep un-synced rhythms and dark bass notes, pushing further into the abyss. ‘Flux’, with its tooly feel, takes the electronic mantra further and sheds light on the source of much of Astro’s new sound palette. Crucially, even in its techiest moments, an irrepressible humanity shines through across Purple. Glenn Astro’s soul is the binding agent which links his early, sample-heavy house to his more explorative new angles, and it comes through in abundance on this fully-formed release.

Jason Hogans follows releases for Planet E, Moods & Grooves, & Third Ear with his dedut 12" on the mighty Sound Signature.

Maston’s Darkland is a breezy collection of the material from the Tulips sessions that didn’t make it on to the original LP. Originally a digital-only release for those in the know in the autumn of 2018, after re-issuing Tulips in 2020 it made too much sense for Be With to give Darkland a vinyl release. Like Tulips, Darkland was recorded mostly in Hoorn, in the Netherlands, between 2015-2017 during downtime from Frank’s touring duties with Jacco Gardner’s band. Bits were also done in Los Angeles on some extended trips back home. The collection plays like an alternate view of Maston’s instant modern classic Tulips; a companion piece to the LP proper with similar mixture of shorter themes and more full length tracks.

Dimensions Recordings are very proud to present 'Decision Time', the first major solo album from the legendary Charles Webster in two decades.

Operating in house music since the mid '80s, Charles Webster is revered as something like the producer's producer, spoken about in the same breath as Larry Heard or Ron Trent amongst the DJ cognoscenti.

Growing up in the Peak District and falling in love with electronic music through a parent's Kraftwerk record, Charles' apprenticeship was with Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson, back when they'd record at Square Dance studio in Nottingham, where Charles worked as a recording engineer. His production work started right at the roots of electronic music in the British Isles, writing tracks for electro/breakdance outfit The Rock City Crew and 1987 UK house cut T-cut-f. Since then he's released music under 30 different pseudonyms with over 500 remixes.

'Decision Time' is Charles' first major solo record since 2001's 'Born On The 24th July', and features an array of artists from a number of different eras, guises and genres Charles has been involved with over his prolific career.

After moving to San Francisco in the late nineties, he created an album under the alias Presence entitled 'All Systems Gone'. The "pillowy" sound design of this classic is cited as a key influence on the music of Burial. For 'Decision Time', Burial has paid a further tribute here, contributing a rare co-production, 'The Second Spell'. This track featuring the words of Prince muse Ingrid Chavez. who also wrote the spoken word poetry in Madonna's 'Justify My Love'.

Charles was at the forefront of the halcyon years of deep house, working with vocal talents like Robert Owens, Tracey Thorn, Terra Deva (aka Furry Freaks), who features here on 'Wait And See', and Shara Nelson, perhaps best known for her vocals on Massive Attack's 'Blue Lines' album, featuring here on 'This Is Real'.

Charles' influence also spreads to the South African house scene with his Presence single 'Better Day' becoming a huge radio hit there in 1997. Charles later moved to South Africa and immersed himself in the local scene, collaborating with some of the country's most exciting talent, including Sio, Thandi Draai and Sipho – all of whom appear on this project.

With an album of this quality and the 20-year cycles of electronic culture, it feels like this is the perfect moment to celebrate the brilliance of Charles Webster's legacy. From the downtempo soul of 'This Is Real', to the impressionistic words and ethereal two-step on 'The Spell', a new generation of ears are about to discover the influential underground sound of Charles Webster.

"As if Everything But The Girl, Larry Heard and Womack & Womack decided to merge musical ideas in the studio…" Billboard, USA.

Amsterdam-based keyboardist, composer and owner of the Flowriders studio Vincent Helbers released his debut album ‘Hear To See’ as Seravince in 2013. A blend of broken beat, future soul and multiple adjective-jazz styles, compiled in a masterfully mixed 45-minute album. Now, 7 years later, the album is released on vinyl for the first time in a limited quantity of 150 copies. Seravince’s 'Hear To See' sees Vincent cultivating his extensive experience inside the studio. The album is deeply rooted in broken beat drum grooves, provided by longtime collaborator and UK drummer extraordinaire Richard Spaven. These are accompanied by the jazz-inspired harmonies and solos from Seravince himself. All musical elements are one takes, recorded on analogue tape. “I want the sound to maintain the rawness and organic vibe”, Seravince explains. The sensual vocals on the album are courtesy of RH Factor singer Renee Neufville (us) and Sharlene Hector (uk), who’s worked together with Reel People and Basement Jaxx.

The original mix, produced by Daniel Maunick, accompanies remixes from three of mainland Europe’s finest DJ/producer combos, prolific German nu-jazz collective Jazzanova, MCDE Recordings & Faces Records’ Pablo Valentino, and Croatian house veteran Eddy Ramich with assistance from Zagreb duo Jan Kincl & Regis Kattie.

“Marombo” is a new track written, arranged and produced by Gerardo Frisina, that anticipates his forthcoming album, called “Moving Ahead” and scheduled for February 2020. Here “Marombo” has been especially divided in two parts, to be featured in this 12” EP.
“Moving Ahead” suggests another change in Gerardo’s style, a solid step into the future to explore new music territories without compromising his original identity and trademark. “Marombo” is in fact a mixture of nu-latin and electronic beats with Afro-Cuban rhythm into a massive dancefloor groove!
This new song sees the participation of Gerardo’s longtime collaborators Ernesto Lopez on drums and percussion and Alfonso Deidda on baritone saxophone.The result is a perfect blend between deep, Detroit afro-dub dance with a massive groove perfect for the dancefloor. As always Gerardo amazes us with his unique touch. Absolutely not to be missed!!!

The release comes on 180g vinyl. For the second 12” of the series we’ve enlisted two of the most on-fire producers in Germany: Max Graef and Glenn Astro, along with one of the UK’s brightest ascendant producers. Back fighting, kicking and beating as strong as or perhaps even stronger than ever before, Ivan ‘Mamao’ Conti is releasing a brand new solo album next year. Now fitted with a new iron hip- thanks to the immense generosity of his fan base who crowdfunded the operation – the Azymuth drummer still remains one of the greatest and outright funkiest drummers alive anywhere in the universe as he enters this new bionic era. As people of earth are not yet quite ready to hear the explosively ethereal cosmic samba of his new album just yet, we’re easing into it with a series of appropriately propulsive percussive jazz-headed remixes. For the second 12” of the series we’ve enlisted two of the most on-fire producers in Germany: Max Graef and Glenn Astro, along with one of the UK’s brightest ascendant producers.