Organic Grooves 204 Items

Not much is known about this early 1970's psychedelic soul group from the Germantown section of Philadelphia. But we do know this record was recorded in 1969 released in 1970 - and one of two records on Michael Nise's (Nise Productions Inc) Philadelphia Round Records (see More Below) Brewerytown Records Label & Insert design by Jeremy Zombie 1984 consists of band members - Gerald Foster, Ronald Hynson, Andrea Johnson, Harold Johnson, Arthur "sly" RAY, Stanley Vurton - From Nise Productions INC: Circa 1970 Audio Magazine, a nationally respected magazine and audio authority, recognizes Nise Productions, Inc. in a special campaign. The promotional director for North American Publishing Company initiates this promotional campaign that utilizes the extended relationship between Frank and Michael Nise with Audio Magazine through the years. "Nise Productions, Inc. is a successful sound production company." Audio Magazin In conjunction with sports announcer Gene Kelly (Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies), Nise Productions, Inc. produces a commemorative audio record highlighting the 20th Anniversary of the 1950 Phillies pennant-winning home run. Wpbs-fm markets and advertises the product. Nise Productions, Inc. moves into corporate audio-visual and multi-track studio production. They establish an entertainment management, publishing and production entity. They sign The Ghetto Children and later, individually, Joy Stamford, who began with The Ghetto Children. Frank and Michael acquire a Sony Superscope dealership and build a two-track audio recording studio, a graphics department and a record mastering facility. They do this while also producing albums for schools and churches on location and produce over 40 albums. The Nise's initiate their first record label, Philadelphia Round Records, with two groups: American Asphalt and 1984.

Not much is known about this early 1970's psychedelic soul group from the Germantown section of Philadelphia. But we do know this record was recorded in 1969 released in 1970 - and one of two records on Michael Nise's (Nise Productions Inc) Philadelphia Round Records (see More Below) Brewerytown Records Label & Insert design by Jeremy Zombie 1984 consists of band members - Gerald Foster, Ronald Hynson, Andrea Johnson, Harold Johnson, Arthur "sly" RAY, Stanley Vurton - From Nise Productions INC: Circa 1970 Audio Magazine, a nationally respected magazine and audio authority, recognizes Nise Productions, Inc. in a special campaign. The promotional director for North American Publishing Company initiates this promotional campaign that utilizes the extended relationship between Frank and Michael Nise with Audio Magazine through the years. "Nise Productions, Inc. is a successful sound production company." Audio Magazin In conjunction with sports announcer Gene Kelly (Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies), Nise Productions, Inc. produces a commemorative audio record highlighting the 20th Anniversary of the 1950 Phillies pennant-winning home run. Wpbs-fm markets and advertises the product. Nise Productions, Inc. moves into corporate audio-visual and multi-track studio production. They establish an entertainment management, publishing and production entity. They sign The Ghetto Children and later, individually, Joy Stamford, who began with The Ghetto Children. Frank and Michael acquire a Sony Superscope dealership and build a two-track audio recording studio, a graphics department and a record mastering facility. They do this while also producing albums for schools and churches on location and produce over 40 albums. The Nise's initiate their first record label, Philadelphia Round Records, with two groups: American Asphalt and 1984.

Greeting Mother Sea Intro Shining Menidaso My Hope Destruction Everywhere Orbit Sirius Sunmo Mi Ee Bloom Flora Gyaszba Borult Isten Csillagvara Home Vermezo Sun Is Away Shango Greeting Mother Sea Outro

Smooth telepathists, Seattle trio Afrocop have delivered their debut LP—just in time to score the most exciting moments of the Summer Olympics. Stitched together with flamboyant precision from myriad sessions in various studios, Afrocop extrapolates on the nonchalantly cosmic jams that the group has laid down in live performance and earlier, digital-only releases, including 2020’s Moondust. Afrocop enters the musical underground poised to be heard by true heads worldwide. As longtime Afrocop fans know, they are inveterate sonic chameleons. They’ve been honing their prodigious improv chops for over a decade on the live circuit, playing everything from corporate gigs to psychedelic-music festivals to residencies at classy Italian restaurants and wine bars, and in many spaces in-between. No matter the setting in which they flex their dynamic creativity, keyboardist Noel Brass Jr., drummer Andy Sells, and bassist Carlos Tulloss flaunt an uncanny versatility: they can beautify the background like ambient masters, get up with it à la Miles Davis’ filthiest electric-era band, or fling you into deepest, fusionoid space on a nanosecond’s notice. “Everything was improvised,” says Brass of the seven tracks on Afrocop, while noting that there was some editing. “With [“Splitting The Atom: Sunflower Envelope”], we told SCNTFC, 'use your best Teo Macero mixing techniques.' Because we want this to be a listening experience. When we play live, we're trying to mesh with how people are feeling. We make it different every time, not just, 'here's this change.' Andy might start in a weird time signature and then go into a Latin swing and next thing you know, we're somewhere else.” The album’s opening track, the aforementioned “Splitting The Atom,” instantly alerts listeners that Afrocop are heading outward bound, with soulful afterburners. This is transcendent jazz funk elevated by Brass' organ drones and interstellar-space-thriller swoops, Tulloss's bulbous bass throbs, Sells' “‘'Funky Drummer' goes to grad school" beats, and guest percussionist Jayson Powell’s transportive congas. Vibrating with vibrant life forces and at once earthy and spacey, this nearly 11-minute track sets the lofty tone for Afrocop. The mellow, dub-infused funk of “Seeking New Strata” comes off like Massive Attack remixing Lonnie Liston Smith. Using his Nord Wave’s Mellotron setting, Brass conjures harmonic majesty that contrasts spicily with Sells' drumming, which has the precise funkiness of Ziggy Modeliste. Afrocop’s sly humor surfaces on the title “Les McCan't”—a reference to late, great soul-jazz keyboardist and Noel favorite Les McCann. After Brass’ spare, icily ruminative piano intro, Sells finesses more methodical funk drumming while Tulloss' bass provides subliminal, elastic cushioning. “The 'Les McCan't' thing was almost a joke,” Brass recalls. “I was just messing around, trying to come up with something on a piano. But the true, improvisational aspect of it came through.” Speaking of titles, Brass says that they “are either easy to come up with or extremely tedious and tough. I'm always writing and coming up with stuff from dreams, random streams of consciousness. A lot of those ideas are just me sitting with the music. We used to have a document with hundreds of possible track titles all of us had come up with. We would grab words off of there. It was crazy psychic wordplay, almost. You don't always want it to be straightforward. Afrocop's a Rorschach thing.”

Afrocop’s also a Miles/Macero thing. They typically prune a massive amount of music into tighter pieces that hit with a more concentrated oomph. “Andy and I are huge fans of that school of listening,” Brass says, “so we approached [the album] a little like that—let it get weird here, let's give it some space there, let's let the congas shift the shape, let's add this to this part. Make it cinematic, something that has relistenable value. It tells a story or can be adaptable to different settings.” Sells, in particular, spent much time editing hours and hours of recordings into the polished gems you hear on Afrocop. The Miles connection flares up on “Get In, Let's Ride,” which creeps in on chill, In A Silent Way keyboard whorls, then quickly shifts into a freaky electro-funk conflagration. The experimental electronic abstractions that kick off “Cyclical Solution” evoke another musical maverick—William S. Fischer, specifically his 1970 masterpiece, Circles. About halfway in, the bass and drums enter, along with synthetic strings, launching the track into space-funk territory. “That's the thing about Afrocop,” Brass says. “It feels like sometimes the music's in a weird territory because the music's always going. Sometimes you go into a weird space and you have to trust each other to get through it.” The stunning “Rare Belief” arose during Afrocop’s early days and proves that they existed on an exalted plane right from jump. It features some of Brass' most beautiful and crystalline playing, as his gorgeous, soulful piano intro leads into an indomitably hopeful funk strut. “We were cutting our teeth at Stepping Stone, a little bar in Ballard at the time, just to play and get better,” Brass remembers. “Carlos had just joined the band. Everything just clicked in that session, and you can hear it in that track. We're not trying to play a lot of notes. We were just trying to find a groove that locked. It comes out in different ways. It was so long ago, it was almost forgotten.” Afrocop had a long, circuitous gestation. Tulloss suffered the deaths of his brother and both parents during the pandemic’s early phase and Sells dealt with some health issues, started his own band, Select Level, and joined another, Mt Fog. In 2023, Brass became co-host of KEXP’s Jazz Theater show. Everyone in Afrocop has multiple projects brewing at any given moment, a testament to their abundance of creativity. All of these life changes, plus a voracious desire to perform live, delayed progress on this record. But the wait has been worth it—and then some. “[Afrocop’s] a vehicle of creation for us three,” Brass summarizes. “If you're not getting that angst out and you're building that up through your regular days on Earth, you need an [outlet for expression and catharsis]. All of us have so many ideas. We're going to keep improvising and getting better.” Bet.

First ever 12” edition of Ahmad Albar’s spacey 1981Indonesian disco rarity, including an additional extended edit. Produced by Fariz RM. Tip!

Often taken as inspiration by the likes of Miles Davis and Gil Evans, Ahmad Jamal is definitely one of the greatest artists in jazz history. Recorded in 1955 and originally released on the short-lived Parrot label, "Chamber Music of the New Jazz" is a stunning example of the creative, elegant, and precious music played by Ahmad Jamal's early trio. The fruit of the magical interplay between Jamal’s sophisticated pianism, Ray Crawford’s highly rhythmic guitar playing, and Israel Cosby’s fine double bass. Three musicians whose individual roles are fully expressed through the collective approach to a new form of "chamber" Jazz. Highly Recommended!!!

Habibi Funk is thrilled to share a second collection of deep grooves and unreleased songs from Algeria's Ahmed Malek, often compared to Italian heavyweight Ennio Morricone. Malek’s music effortlessly switches between thematic jazz, funk, reggae and Algerian folk – creating indelible soundscapes that intersect the musical innovations made in African jazz by Mulatu Astatke, Bembeya Jazz National along with some of Europe’s finest experimental composers like Piero Piccioni and Janko Nilovic.

an excerpt from Edward George's 10,000+word liner-note 8 page booklet that comes with the double LP: Delay, 1961 (the Story SO Far) "They are, Seymour said, in movement, and in keeping with their claim, their music is, like a Brownian bridge, an A&J Tranean train, a Byrdian plane, or a Blountian space-time myth-machine, a way of playing themselves into the historio-graphical hands, or better yet, the loving arms, or perhaps, to be precise, the metaphysical embrace, of ‘a new creative space’, and playing is a way, the only way, when you think about it, of getting and staying in movement, the only way of staying ahead of themselves. Staying ahead of themselves was always important, and tricky too: they were on the (musical) trail of someone who preceded them, was ahead of himself, or at least ahead of his own epoch, the late 1950s, and theirs, the late 20th and early 21st century, in which he was, before they found him (or he found them, the way music finds you — and finds you out) present as no more than a discographical evanescence. And to complicate things further, the way they talked about what they were doing as they proceeded along that trail, you’d think they were archaeologists (and not anthropologists), or geologists (and not ethnographers), as well as exemplars of whatever discipline it is through which the capacity for inhabiting and transforming the body, the corpus, of another takes place: ‘We excavate and reinhabit documents and fragments of plans and compositions that he left behind to make music that though it originated in the 20th century will speak to the 21st’. They said that, on the back, or the strength, of their first album, and it was enough to make you wonder where in the world it was that they started from, what their point(s) of departure might have been."

Multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Alex Puddu (Al Dente/Schema Records) with a solo release discography of 16 albums, among which stand out the three original volumes of the red-light soundtracks of Danish films ” The Golden Age Of Danish pornography", and also known for his collaborations with Edda Dell'Orso (Maestro Ennio Morricone's legendary vocalist,) Joe Bataan, Lonnie Jordan of L.A funk band War, and Gene Robinson Jr of Breakwater.

Alex Puddu will follow the previews singles Texas Blonde and Pullover Grigio releasing after the summer, for the first time a brand new album in Italian language, called ”Deliria” proposing a new sound that drags us into the Italian funk music of the late seventies and early 80s, and the new music from the italian indie pop and new disco scene, within names like, Nu Genea, Pellegrino. Viscardi & Il Duo Magnetico, Frah Quintale, Marco Castello and up to the electronic sounds, between adult oriented soul and disco that are part of the unmistakable style of Alex Puddu's writing and production.

‘Står op med solen’ (Rising with the sun) is the second album by Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie. With this album, the band continues the exploration of their collective sound. We hear influences from both old school free jazz, and contemporary Scandinavian jazz like Fire! Orchestra and Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, as well as clear connection to the Trondheim milieu, where the group was founded in 2020.

The energetic and expressive band explores their more subtle side with this record. ‘Står op med solen’ is an album longing for humans to be one with nature. The music comments on the world’s ultra-capitalistic power structures of today. The band navigates like one organism through parts of organic free jazz, strict structures and composed cells.

They start out where their first record ended, in the familiar free jazz sound with riffs and melodies, and take us safely on their onward journey. Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie brings together five well-known names from the Norwegian jazz scene, also known from other projects like Kongle Trio, Bliss Quintet, I like to sleep, Veslemøy Narvesen, Galumphing Duo, Treen and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, among others.

After over 40 years and with great pride we bring to light in the formidable Maxi 45 single format another great little gem hidden in the vast panorama of Italian disco.

Author, painter, poet and all-round musician, Luciano Angeleri collaborated on the project with enthusiasm and exceptional enthusiasm. With his inimitable humor he gave us many laughs and beautiful reflections on an unparalleled golden age. Thank you so much Luciano!

The Pink Colored Vinyl in Limited Edition, in addition to the two hits "Un' Estate di Sesso" and "Donna", offers two modern versions on the B-Side: Lance with a jaunty Re-Edit and our Marta Paradise with a real King -Work with a retro futuristic flavour.

May the Italian Summer be with you…

CD Release: Limited edition of 100.

Since the age of six, multi-instrumentalist Aya Suzuki has been developing a musical universe informed by classical training and emboldened by a prodigious, almost innate feel for sound.

Her precocious leanings into percussive instrumentation led her to study at the pioneering Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo under the mentorship of world-renowned marimba player Keiko Abe, after which she left her native Japan to pursue a Master’s in percussion at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent.

Winged Seeds, her debut album recorded during a summer residency at Stuk in Leuven, presents the work of a musician whose ingenuity is in full flight. Clay pots, vibraphone, aluphone, bowls, and, of all things, rice, are her tools for conjuring arresting atmospheres through intricate fantasias and serene abstractions.

Aya’s mastery of percussive techniques goes hand in hand with her gift for poetic improvisation, as sound and silence have an equal and deliberate weight that charge each moment, suspending time and place into a magical stasis.

The surprising spoken word intermezzo “To The Earth” anchors these floating tones to the temporal spaces of our humanity, instilling a sense of humility which, despite her acumen, Aya deploys in all her artistry.

Winged Seeds is an unspoiled ode to the elements, honoring the earth we dwell in through the music that lifts us every higher.

Cult soca disco 12", produced by Leston Paul and originally released in 1984 - now available in full vocal and instrumental versions for the first time in 40 years.Barbara Hernandez was working as a backing singer for Kool and the Gang in New York at the time the track was recorded, and the session featured their horn section as well as a who"s who of the Trinidad music scene for what would be Barbara"s only solo release. Suffering from poor distribution at the time of release, the 12" failed to make waves at the time but is now lovingly remastered and cut loud, a sure fire dancefloor filler.

New Orleans Free Jazz Party band comes on strong with their first vinyl release. Two sax (byron Asher and Aurora Nealand), two drums (bradd Webb and Zach Rhea) plus lots of synths (daniel Meineke) make for some fusion some freakout and some vibes.

For the second release of the Back to Back series of Stolen Goods goes for two stables of the scene: label manager and old school pillar of the Italian scene Lele Sacchi and Italo Spanish beat master Bawrut.
After B2B1 saw the funky deep sound of Rogue D feat Joe Le Groove and the raw house grooves of Ruff Stuff got played by Laurent Garnier on his show and by peeps like Jamie Jones and Oliver Dollar in their sets and chosen by Beatport in most of their weekend picks here we are ready for two bangers for clubbing prime time! Bawrut's fame goes a long way back to in the best of Europe's crossover of electronic dancefloor music and indie and urban flavours. An album on Ransome Note, hits for Life & Death, Correspondant and tracks supported by Dixon, Jennifer Cardini, Ricardo Villalobos Sven Bath and playing B2B with Kink and Skream in festival and clubs like Sonar, Nuits Sonores, Fabric, Sub Club, Nitsa, etc. and now this massive hands in the hair, goosebumps in the back monster of retro future rave piece of music!
Lele Sacchi is known to have an ear for bangers having been behind the decks all over the world for nearly 30 years, so whenever and with various aliases he turns into producer is quite normal to find his music out on labels like Snatch, Soul Clap, Nervous, Internasjonal, Crosstown Rebels, Pokerflat, Rebirth and more and more classic underground dance stables. This time he keeps his know funkier deep groove but adds a kille stab in the breakdown to represent a vein of peaktime monster attitude.
Again a message 'From Clubbers to Clubbers' as we love to say here at Stolen Goods records.

Live albums are often a "hit or miss" affair but "Live Oblivion 1 & 2" buck that trend. Recorded across 2 nights in 1974 at the Hollywood venue The Whisky A Go Go. Now released to mark the 50th Anniversary of their recording and release it"s the first ever vinyl reissue since the original releases in the 1970"s.

Live albums are often a "hit or miss" affair but "Live Oblivion 1 & 2" buck that trend. Recorded across 2 nights in 1974 at the Hollywood venue The Whisky A Go Go. Now released to mark the 50th Anniversary of their recording and release it"s the first ever vinyl reissue since the original releases in the 1970"s.

We wrote Accept When between 2022 and 2023, after a long, beautiful period improvising together intimately in the safety of a friend’s practice space. Our friendship, the quality of attention that colored the light of that and all our other practice spaces, became the basis for our activity and growth as songwriters and our relationship as improvisers. Friendship, how we relate to each other, is our nucleus: the central and essential part of our movement; the positively charged central core of our atom. A nucleus is supposed to be an especially essential form in eukaryotic cells. Their nuclei are surrounded by a membrane, which in that world permits them to be said to have 'true nuclei.' Even their smallest parts, their organelles (incidentally also the name of Caroline’s keyboard heard throughout the record), are held by that membrane. The deepening of our musical friendship, the affordance of space we give to the possibility of synchronicity, the reminders we write of the preciousness of our existence—all of this we put into these songs for you, to help us all accept these miracles and metaphors, in our lifeboats."

"A legendary concert by one of the great unrecorded bands in free jazz history is here at last. Webo, the third installment in the Black Editions Archive series of previously unreleased recordings from Milford Graves' private tape library, roars into the station June 21, 2024. For the first time, Charles Gayle, Milford Graves, & William Parker—three lions of the Black American jazz avantgarde—are finally heard together on record, presented here across three audiophile-quality LPs for two brutalizingly joyous hours of real ju-ju & musical mastery. The trio of Charles Gayle, Milford Graves, & William Parker gave only seven public performances between 1985 and 2013, and released no recordings. Their June 1991 two-night stand at the short-lived Lower East Side venue Webo, long referenced as a signal event in New York free jazz's 1990s resurgence, has been a topic of discussion among close followers of the music for decades. In the uncompromising grassroots spirit of the 1970s New York Musicians Organization and loft jazz movements from which they had emerged, the band produced and promoted the Webo concerts themselves. Photography and audio recording were not allowed at the concerts, and this official recording, commissioned by the artists, was never released—until now. So vivid was the lore surrounding Webo that it topped the list of recordings sought by Black Editions Archive from Graves' private collection. The tapes maximally substantiate eyewitness accounts describing extra-sensory levels of communication within the band, and the extraordinary clarity and impact of their performance. From William Parker's liner notes: 'Imagine a village or choir of drummers, horn players and strings. You can hear the bass and drums churning with a call and response, a melodic-rhythmic propulsion. In reality there is only one drummer, one bass, and one saxophone.' Age 52 at the time of these concerts, Charles Gayle had only recently made his first recordings. To all but the most immediate insiders he was still more myth than reality. Milford Graves, two months out from his 50th birthday, was about halfway into his body of recorded work and had sanctioned just one appearance on a commercially released recording in the last 14 years (Pieces of Time by an all-drummer quartet with Kenny Clarke, Andrew Cyrille, and Famoudou Don Moye). William Parker, the young man of the group at age 39, was a mere fifty entries into his discography, now 500+ entries and counting. All three musicians were at least a quarter century into passionately developing a personal and collective music rooted in the cultural values and radical aesthetics of the 1960s and '70s Black American avant-garde. 30+ years after the Webo concerts, Black Editions Archive is honored to make these historical recordings available to the public. The three LPs are presented in a heavy black, pigment-stamped box with mounted cover painting along with liner notes by William Parker, commentary from Alan Licht (witness to night one of the Webo concerts), a reproduction of the original concert flyer, and a set of 6"x9" printed photos from the 2021 Webo reunion outside MoMA PS1, Queens, NY. Cover Painting by Jeff Schlanger/musicWitness, made June 8, 1991, at Webo during the band's performance. Vinyl pressed at RTI, lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio."—Michael Ehlers, 2024

Clifford Jordan was actually supposed to perform at Paradiso on September 10, 1969, but at that time the stage was facing problems and closed for a month. He diverts to Vara studio 7 in Hilversum with pianist Cees Slinger, bassist Ruud Jacobs, drummer Han Bennink and percussionist Steve Boston. Three of the four pieces Jordan puts on the lectern he recorded in early 1969 for the Strata-East label under the album title In the world.

Progressive quartet Combo Chimbita debut the first release on their own label with a track that combines their psychedelic tendencies with the rootsy elements of dub reggae filtered through the guacharaca and chicha-influenced guitar of cumbia. "Margarita" and its dub companion "Nene" comprise a sonically lush 7-inch single that represents the latest chapter in the ever-evolving Combo's sound. After a multi-year run that saw them grow from a loose improvisational collective into a compact, electrifying act that held enthralled concert halls in their hands, Combo Chimbita has entered a period of introspection and new experimentation. Turning to a producer who has been a guru of sorts to the Brooklyn scene, in late 2023 they entered the studio of Victor Axelrod, aka Ticklah, to record a couple new compositions. In contrast to the outward boundary-pushing of their last album, these new songs see the group burrowing deeply into their interior roots. "We wanted to make a song returning to cumbia, one of those rhythms that has influenced us," says frontwoman Carolina Oliveros. The added ingredient of Ticklah — a musician and producer heavily steeped in the sonic stew of reggae — overseeing the recording added a distinctive flavor to the session, and gave the group room to "play with the nuances between dub reggae and cumbia," as Oliveros puts it. "I like how the band brought in traditional Colombian elements, but never anything outright derivative," Ticklah says. "Margarita" inhabits a middle ground, an in-between area much like that of Abya Yala, an indigenous name for the isthmus that connects South and Central America and, not coincidentally, the namesake of the group's own newly formed label, of which this single is the first release. The metaphor runs deeper, as the group members' lives are lived between their Colombian heritage and their assumed status as immigrants in New York City (and, given their international fame, further beyond), and deeper still as the themes of displacement and mutable identity are threaded thru Oliveros's lyrics. The ambiguity of time, space, and meaning itself coalesce in the combination of those hair-raising, utterly soulful vocalizations — "what I cannot say by speaking," Oliveros explains — and the hypnotic rhythm born of the unspoken communication between Niño Lento, Prince Of Queens, and Dilemastronauta. The vocal version of "Margarita" is backed by a trademark Ticklah dub version of the cut ("Nene Dub"), awash in analog delays and King Tubby-like punch-ins and drop-outs, shot through with Oliveros's plaintive cries to "not worry" ("no te preocupes").

Soopastole is back with anaother pair of amazing jazz-funk-reworks!

The magical encounter of three skillful players, right before their self titled debut on ECM. On September 1, 1978, the musical trio Codona performed live in Willisau, Switzerland. This Swiss FM broadcast captured Codona in full flight, with Collin Walcott on sitar, Don Cherry on trumpet, and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion. Their performance weaved a magical web of sound. The opening track, “New Light,” is a 16-minute journey of pure joy

DONNELL PIMAN of "LOVE EXPLOSION" & "YOUR LOVE IS DYNAMITE" returns to STAR CREATURE for his second modern 7" on the hometown connection label. Features production duties from WINGS OF SUNSHINE and Japan's LIQUID PEGASUS. Both tracks are 120 bpm plus and both slap!

Originally released on Fat Beats Records in 2009, El Michels Affair’s landmark album “Enter the 37th Chamber” is celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2024. Featuring reinterpretations of hip hop anthems from the Wu-Tang Clan, the album took stripped-down, raw hip hop bangers and flipped them into richly-arranged instrumentals. Cover versions of tracks such as “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Can It All Be So Simple” instantly sounded as vintage as the records that RZA had sampled to create the originals, with the familiar melodies and driving rhythms elevated by expertly-arranged horns and strings. The gritty and bottom-heavy style of these analog recordings—dubbed “Cinematic Soul”—has been both widely celebrated and often imitated. El Michels Affair namesake Leon Michels has since gone on to produce for and collaborate with artists as diverse as Adele, Black Thought, Lana Del Rey, and The Carters (Beyonce & Jay-Z). Now 15 years from its initial release, “Enter the 37th Chamber” has proven to be one of the true classic instrumental albums of its era, every bit as enduring as the music it had meant to pay homage to.

ENC
'surreal Estate'
Limited Edition Gatefold 180gm Double Vinyl edition of 250
All profits from the release are donated to mind.org.uk
The third Emperors New Clothes album recorded and produced in 1996 by Trevor 'Underdog' Jackson, rejected and ridiculed by the bands original label, the album sat unheard for decades and unreleased in its original intended format anywhere till now.

A gloriously twisted mix of jazz, post-rock, dub, no wave, noise & abstract beats played by a live five piece, the album sounds as strangely relevant today as it was wildly ahead of its time in 96.

In founder member Luke Hannam's own words.

"Just two months before the recording took place at the chapel studios in Lincolnshire ENC went through a major line up change with Leo Taylor recruited on drums and David Bateman added on guitar & additional programming, Ian Girdlestone on decks & tape looping and the two founding members Andy Knight- Sax, electronics, flutes, programming, keys & percussion and Luke Hannam on Bass.

The band had come along way from its earliest days as a three piece in the late 80s based in the northeast . ENC were always an unusual band formed around Andy's deep musicality and knowledge of free jazz and experimental music and Luke's love of intense groove and dark post punk. They were an unlikely pairing in someways but they lived closely and supported each other for years.

The 'Surreal Estate' project began as the third album loomed into view. Trevor Jackson who had contributed some fantastic remixes on previous material was hired as producer with Corrine 'The Sea' Pennington as an engineer. The band headed to their Brixton arch and set about making the most adventurous music of their career. The tracks that's you hear on this album were mostly recorded during extensive sessions at The Chapel residential studios in Lincolnshire followed by various additional session in London and also at Trevor's home studio. Recording sessions are funny things, stuff works, stuff fails, bands implode, and sometimes great albums get made, stability never makes the best music and this album probably proves both are true.

My memories of these sessions are pretty vivid, we worked through the night creating our own private universe playing music as freely and intensely as we could. Andy provided, as he always did a sense of otherworldly concentration, I always found him like a man in the centre of a storm building circles and cycles, spinning patterns of sound rhythm and melody. Leo was a relative newcomer at the time but as afar as I was concerned produced beats so intense, so perfect, they pulled my bass into line … visceral and exact. David Bateman listened and carefully spun delicious guitar parts finding space where others thought there was none to be found … it was beautiful to watch and when I listen I can see him in the shadows immersed in the music. Ian's loops and analogue textures found their perfect embrace with Andy's subsonic samples and electronic depth charging …. The whole thing lurched like an obscure On U sound recording colliding with Sun Ra in Trevor's hip hop universe".

Recorded Live in Sweden in September 1961 the Uppsala Concert is an important document from Dolphy's first Swedish tour as leader of an obscure but talented local quartet featuring Rony Johansson - piano; Kurt Lindgren - bass and Rune Carlsson - drums. Master Dolphy shines, as always, on all his instruments alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute, while the track list consists of a rare mix of standards suchs as Milt Jackson's "Bags Groove", Monk's "52nd Street Theme", Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and the famous unaccompanied alto sax version of "Laura", all this plus a 20 minutes long version of Dolphy's blues "245" where every single note played by Dolphy sounds as pure gold.

The Fossils label has been unearthing more musical treasure for its fifth outing, and this one takes you directly to the Middle East for some twisted disco-funk with red hot grooves courtesy of Fava Luva & Dr. Professor. The source of the tunes is obscure and unknown but the pair bring plenty of their own goodness with additional layers of live instrumentation really bring them to life. 'Lahatz' is steamy and full of sensuous vocal magic and cosmic synth work that will get the floor into action, while 'Kerem' is even more topical and exotic with its rich array of strong melodies and downtempo beats making for a woozy and wonderful trip.

Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based, Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, Dawn Is A Melody feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping its hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne’s finest talent.

Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Elle Shimada, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn’s conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, Dawn Is A Melody places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his fellow Melbourne crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes.

In Finn’s own words: “My intention with Dawn Is A Melody was to create a world; a microcosm of colour. Something rich and beautiful that allowed the melodies and compositions to reach their full potential. It was driven by hope, curiosity and the search for beauty and reassurance in this ever-changing world. The emotion behind the music is really about the journey of life, growing up and changing, as well as my relationship with Tasmania’s natural landscapes where I grew up, a part of the world that is incredibly unique and beautiful.”

The album arcs between opening, middle and end. Beginning with the optimism of ‘Looking Up’ and ‘Lagoon’, the former a celestial, string and harp marbled slice of positivity, the latter a spiritual journey of exuberance and hope, Finn’s fingers dancing across the ‘70s Yamaha grand piano. From there the songs blossom outwards with the cinematic soulful journey of ‘It’s Behind Me Now’ and Brazilian-inspired ‘Expansion’, as the divine ‘Crossing’ signals a transition to a new realm. The energy is transformed from the rich cosmic textures to a more intimate and personal feeling with ‘Ablaze’, ‘Between Spaces’ and ‘As It Passes’ which blissfully fades down to simply piano and strings to close out the record.

Recorded at Rolling Stock in Collingwood, Melbourne, Henry Jenkins was drafted in as recording and mix engineer, his minimal vintage mic setups giving a live aesthetic and warmth to the arrangements. Lucky Pereira and Blakely McLean Davies form the rock-solid rhythm section, with a hand-picked line-up of other Melbourne talent on display, including Cheryl Durongpitikul on tenor sax, Siwei Wong on harp, Audrey Powne on trumpet and Allysha Joy on vocals to name only a few.

Plotting a course from Alice Coltrane, through Herbie Hancock, to Arthur Verocai, this is a debut nourished by the past but firmly made in the present. A record unable to be age-stamped, casting ambiguity as to when, what era and by whom it has been crafted. Like a vintage lens capturing a current scene, Dawn Is A Melody is warm and familiar yet focused on the here now.

Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based, Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, Dawn Is A Melody feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping its hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne’s finest talent.

Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Elle Shimada, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn’s conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, Dawn Is A Melody places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his fellow Melbourne crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes.

In Finn’s own words: “My intention with Dawn Is A Melody was to create a world; a microcosm of colour. Something rich and beautiful that allowed the melodies and compositions to reach their full potential. It was driven by hope, curiosity and the search for beauty and reassurance in this ever-changing world. The emotion behind the music is really about the journey of life, growing up and changing, as well as my relationship with Tasmania’s natural landscapes where I grew up, a part of the world that is incredibly unique and beautiful.”

The album arcs between opening, middle and end. Beginning with the optimism of ‘Looking Up’ and ‘Lagoon’, the former a celestial, string and harp marbled slice of positivity, the latter a spiritual journey of exuberance and hope, Finn’s fingers dancing across the ‘70s Yamaha grand piano. From there the songs blossom outwards with the cinematic soulful journey of ‘It’s Behind Me Now’ and Brazilian-inspired ‘Expansion’, as the divine ‘Crossing’ signals a transition to a new realm. The energy is transformed from the rich cosmic textures to a more intimate and personal feeling with ‘Ablaze’, ‘Between Spaces’ and ‘As It Passes’ which blissfully fades down to simply piano and strings to close out the record.

Recorded at Rolling Stock in Collingwood, Melbourne, Henry Jenkins was drafted in as recording and mix engineer, his minimal vintage mic setups giving a live aesthetic and warmth to the arrangements. Lucky Pereira and Blakely McLean Davies form the rock-solid rhythm section, with a hand-picked line-up of other Melbourne talent on display, including Cheryl Durongpitikul on tenor sax, Siwei Wong on harp, Audrey Powne on trumpet and Allysha Joy on vocals to name only a few.

Plotting a course from Alice Coltrane, through Herbie Hancock, to Arthur Verocai, this is a debut nourished by the past but firmly made in the present. A record unable to be age-stamped, casting ambiguity as to when, what era and by whom it has been crafted. Like a vintage lens capturing a current scene, Dawn Is A Melody is warm and familiar yet focused on the here now.

Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based, Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, Dawn Is A Melody feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping its hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne’s finest talent.

Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Elle Shimada, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn’s conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, Dawn Is A Melody places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his fellow Melbourne crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes.

In Finn’s own words: “My intention with Dawn Is A Melody was to create a world; a microcosm of colour. Something rich and beautiful that allowed the melodies and compositions to reach their full potential. It was driven by hope, curiosity and the search for beauty and reassurance in this ever-changing world. The emotion behind the music is really about the journey of life, growing up and changing, as well as my relationship with Tasmania’s natural landscapes where I grew up, a part of the world that is incredibly unique and beautiful.”

The album arcs between opening, middle and end. Beginning with the optimism of ‘Looking Up’ and ‘Lagoon’, the former a celestial, string and harp marbled slice of positivity, the latter a spiritual journey of exuberance and hope, Finn’s fingers dancing across the ‘70s Yamaha grand piano. From there the songs blossom outwards with the cinematic soulful journey of ‘It’s Behind Me Now’ and Brazilian-inspired ‘Expansion’, as the divine ‘Crossing’ signals a transition to a new realm. The energy is transformed from the rich cosmic textures to a more intimate and personal feeling with ‘Ablaze’, ‘Between Spaces’ and ‘As It Passes’ which blissfully fades down to simply piano and strings to close out the record.

Recorded at Rolling Stock in Collingwood, Melbourne, Henry Jenkins was drafted in as recording and mix engineer, his minimal vintage mic setups giving a live aesthetic and warmth to the arrangements. Lucky Pereira and Blakely McLean Davies form the rock-solid rhythm section, with a hand-picked line-up of other Melbourne talent on display, including Cheryl Durongpitikul on tenor sax, Siwei Wong on harp, Audrey Powne on trumpet and Allysha Joy on vocals to name only a few.

Plotting a course from Alice Coltrane, through Herbie Hancock, to Arthur Verocai, this is a debut nourished by the past but firmly made in the present. A record unable to be age-stamped, casting ambiguity as to when, what era and by whom it has been crafted. Like a vintage lens capturing a current scene, Dawn Is A Melody is warm and familiar yet focused on the here now.

The long-awaited 7inch release of fox capture plan's self-cover of "Fukashigi no Karte", the ending theme of the TV anime series "Rascal Does Not Dream (Seishun Buta Yaro)", in an English vocal version featuring Chihiro Sings and the original mix! The release coincides with the release of the latest film in the series, "Rascal Does Not Dream of a Girl with a Leather Backpack". The rich sound of the jazzy hip-hop rhythm, layered with strings and horns, expresses the original softness of the instruments in this new version, with English lyrics and singing by Chihiro Sings.

Memphis-born saxophonist Frank Lowe with his muscular tenor sax voice shines along with Butch Morris' cornet and Amina Claudine Myers' piano on top of Wilber Morris (bass) and Tim Pleasant (drums) angular rhythms. "This 1981 date is recognized as one of Mr. Lowe's finest albums. "Lowe's turn-of-the-decade band traded on raw finesse. There is nothing here... which swaps subtlety for power. And both should help dispel any notion of Lowe as an unsubtle roarer" Penguin Guide TO Jazz "Frank Lowe has developed a thoughtfully muscular approach to the tenor saxophone that's exceptionally resourceful and personal, and his bandmates... are similarly animated by both an exploratory bent and a love for the hard-bop tradition". Robert Palmer (nyt)

South-Asian vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Ganavya releases her new studio album “Like the sky I've been too quiet” on Shabaka Hutchings’ Native Rebel Recordings. The album features contributions from artists including Kofi Flexxx, Floating Points, Carlos Niño, Leafcutter John and Mercury-nominated bassist Tom Herbert.

Since graduating from Berklee College of Music, Ucla and Harvard, Ganavya has quickly become a much-in-demand artist on the US scene who consistently confounds expectations. Hailed as “among modern music's most compelling vocalists” (Wall Street Journal), “most enchanting” (npr) and "extraordinary" (DownBeat), Ganavya has worked with an array of luminaries including the likes of Quincy Jones, Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding and on new album "Like the sky I've been too quiet" she presents thirteen compelling tracks which showcase her ethereal voice and numinous energy.

“Mr. Big Shot” by Gene ‘Duke-of-Earl’ Chandler was recorded in Chicago in the golden year of soul music, 1966. It was Chandler’s final 45 for Constellation Records completing an incredible run of outstanding releases that have powered the Northern Soul scene ever since including “Nothing Can Stop Me”, “Bet You Never Thought”, “(Gonna Be) Good Times” and “I Can Take Care Of Myself”. But, it’s “Mr. Big Shot” that has consistently filled the dance floors and is now possibly the “biggest” oldie of all-time.

Dee Clark is best known for his American #2 power-ballad hit “Raindrops” in 1961 for the Vee-Jay label. However, it is his 1964 non-hit “That’s My Girl” that caught the attention of the UK DJ’s and went on to become one of the key records during the Nineties resurgence of the Northern Soul scene.

Featuring two stunning crossover classics from the 1978 ‘Time Wounds All Heels’ penned and performed by Los Angeles soul singer Gene Townsel’.

Welcome to the first instalment of a new collaboration between The Reflex’ Discolidays label and Because Music in Paris, remixing gems from the Zagora catalogue.

Created in 1975 by producer Daniel Vangarde (father of Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter), the Zagora label created some of the most exciting disco music in France, ranging from cult underground artists Who’s Who and Starbow, to massive international hits by the Gibson Brothers, la Compagnie Créole and Black Blood. Unearthing the multitrack for obscure cuts, The Reflex shifts the focus on the great studio musicians involved in these recordings (Wally Badarou amongst others) and delivers stunning revisions of ‘Harlem Bound’, a 131bpm jazz-funk disco powerhouse cut (1977) and ‘Dancin’ The Mambo’, a 122bpm Chic-esque meets early piano House monster laced with that unmistakable French sound, originally released in 1980.

Both first time-ever remixes from the stems, released on 180g vinyl with custom artwork on card sleeve designed by Al Kent / Million Dollar Disco.

Three more releases will follow, to complete the 4 x 12” vinyl and digital package spread over several months in 2024.

Czechoslovakian big band legend Gustav Brom has graced dancefloors with his music for a long time, you've probably heard his work and not realised it. Panorama returns with "Calling Up The Rain", from his 1976 album "Gustav Brom plays for you Pop Jazz and Swing" Gustav infused big band jazz and a latin groove into this dancefloor weapon, Organ solos, Trumpet solos and a screeching guitar solo. What's not to love?

Presented as a reissue by the newly launched London-based record label, Panorama Records, "Calling Up The Rain" reaffirms the label's discerning direction and "Don't Judge A Record By It's Cover" attitude. Championed by Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge and a few other legends in the game, Panorama Records aims to reintroduce this big band hit to new audiences, establishing itself as a tastemaker in the business of reissuing global grooves. It comes with a sticker on the front with quotes from tastemakers Patrick Forge, Rainer Trueby and Zag Erlat (My Analog Journal).

With this release, record collectors can anticipate a discovery of Gustav's anthem, for the first time on a 45 and a first time official reissue, a full blown party starter, as Panorama Records presents "Calling Up The Rain" as a timeless reissue. The label shook mountains with it's first release of Gitte and Inger, with huge DJ support from Gilles Peterson, Ross Allen and other great tastemakers. Pan002 is here, Buy or cry!

Limited to 1000 copies worldwide, only available with GUTS and HHV.

In 2022, Guts brought together his musical family for his ‘Estrellas’ album. An ambitious project that brought together musicians from: Franc, Cuba and various African countries. For a journey that was as rich artistically as it was humanly. The list of superlatives was almost endless, "Formidable", "incredible", "unforgettable" and "magical" all thrown into the pot, during these magical moments in the Dakar studio. From the seventeen tracks heard on the original album, three have been entrusted to the expert and inventive hands of four producers, who have come up with new interpretations bringing Africa and the Caribbean together for a modern dancefloor.

‘Por Que Ou Ka Fe Sa’ (Poirier Remix)

From his studio in Montreal, Canadian Poirier has opted for a strong groove and relentless bass drum to keep out intruders, putting vocalists David Walters and Brenda Navarrete in a rhythmic cocoon. Accompanied in a slightly moody bassline that adds some driving muscle to the track. The hooky guitar line eventually gives way to the saxophone that emerges from the mix to parade around the front line. The original electric piano is replaced by a synth pad that loops and spins driving the track to its conclusion.

‘Por Que Ou Ka Fe Sa’ (David Walters Remix)

Before recording this track, David Walters and Brenda Navarette didn't even know each other. So in the magic of the moment that brought them together is a genuine and sincere artistic bond. It is no longer Guts but David who is at the musical helm, and before they too can savour the connection between the two artists, the dancers will have to pass through an overheated corridor where a Caribbean rhythm resonates with percussion. Digital and woodwind swirl and clash until the vocal encounter with the artists. It's a moment of respite that's as suspended as it is life-saving, because the exit is also via the famous corridor.

‘San Lazaro’ (Bosq Remix)

On Bosq’s mix, he’s opted to maintain things focused on the dancefloor, keeping the percussion persistent for the unleashed bodies of the dancers to smile. It's once again the walking bass line rises to the forefront of the groove, softening the shocks of the relentless kick drum. Roberto Valdes's timeless piano has disappeared, while guitars float and add to the atmosphere. The track is no longer awash in cigar smoke. Under Akemis's powerful vocals the low ceiling has disappeared, and the open roof is more a brass-lit spectacle. That doesn't make things any less overheated though, this one is sweaty until the end.

‘Medewui’ (Captain Planet Remix)

Captain Planet brings the dancer’s attention to the Afrobeat flavored jam that rocked the original, highlighting the Pat Kalla & Assane Mboup duet. Despite the track remaining mid tempo, laying back is no longer the order of the day as this mix really develops. The drums are more present jolting along with the organ in the first half. Once all the storytellers have taken their microphones, the rhythmic beats are doubled and the track is carried towards a frenzy of Afro-Latin dancing. Fired up by the brass and percussion, it’s this almost switch up that takes hold of the second part of the tune, with some righteous authority and relentless piano and trumpet.