In the five years since Creep Show’s acclaimed Mr Dynamite album was released it’s fair to say that we’ve all been through a fair bit. Sitting here, in 2023, things don’t seem to be getting any better. There’s the cost of living crisis and political meltdowns; we're in deep water with global warming and to top it all there’s a war on our doorstep.
Back in 2018 everything seemed less complicated. Sure, there was stuff to get riled about, but we knew nothing about what was to come. Mr Dynamite was a fairground ride into the dark corners of a world that was on the brink of being blitzed in a blender. It was a record teetering on the edge. Five years down the line you’d expect the follow-up, Yawning Abyss, would double-down and bring the white-knuckled, teeth-gritted fury of the last five years to the boil. And yet….
A quick recap? No problem. Wrangler + John Grant = Creep Show. And Creep Show? “A band of musical misfits who have found a voice or two”, says Wrangler’s Ben “Benge” Edwards, whose Bond villain studio on the edge of a moorland is Creep Show Grand Central as well as home to an analogue synth arsenal that could sink ships.
Wrangler have known each other for a while. Tunng’s electronics wizard Phil Winter and Cabaret Voltaire’s trailblazing, pioneering frontman Stephen Mallinder go way back, while Phil and Benge crossed paths in the 21st century when they seemed to be increasingly in the same venues at the same times. Meanwhile, Mal had been living in Australia since the mid-90s and when, in 2007, he returned to the UK his old pal Phil suggested he meet Benge and the three of them immediately began working together.
Wrangler collectively bumped into Grant at their soundcheck for Sheffield’s Sensoria Festival in 2014 where they were playing with Carter Tutti. A friendship blossomed and when they were invited to perform together for Rough Trade’s 40th anniversary show at London’s Barbican in 2016, well, they jumped at the chance... and Creep Show was born.
Let’s talk about the new album... What is the ‘Yawning Abyss’? You might well ask. According to Mal, it’s “a cosmic event horizon that I can see from my attic window when stand on a chair”. Yeah. Thanks.
“On this album”, offers Benge, feet firmly on the floor, “Wrangler wrangled some vintage synths, mostly Roland, Moog, and the ‘Crystal Machine’ - then John Grant joined in the fun at Memetune Studios where lots of musical experiments were carried out. Then Mal and John ran off to Iceland with the master tapes and recorded a load of madcap vocals. Back at Memetune, me and Phil were left to try and make sense of it all. Which wasn’t hard because what they did in Iceland was totally magnificent.”
Which kind of brings us back to where we began. You’d imagine ‘Yawning Abyss’ would be blowing steam out of its furious ears. Mr Dynamite but kicking a wasps nest. Repeatedly. And yet…
Opener ‘The Bellows’ comes on like a modular ‘Radio Ga Ga’, the singalong ‘Moneyback’ (“You want your money back? / I didn’t think so”) sounds like Godley & Creme’s ‘Snack Attack’ meets Prince Charles And The City Beat Band (“Pennies, pounds, dollar bills, signed agreements, death wills”). ‘Yahtzee!’ is an unhinged electro breakdance party in four minutes and nine seconds.
Where Mr Dynamite was menace, a mélange of mangled voices, with Grant and Mallinder being heavily treated, pitched up or down, rendering their contributions largely indistinguishable, Yawning Abyss takes a more direct approach. You hesitate to say feelgood, but there’s a skip in the step here for sure.
The title track plays John Grant’s vocal straight. Completely. It’s good, so very good. Like ‘Axel F’ covered by Vangelis. The delicious shimmering synths of ‘Bungalow’ also plays those Grant pipes with a straight bat. ‘Matinee’ delves into darker, very funky territory. With Mal upfront it comes on like ‘The Crackdown’. Choice lyric: “You are starting to breakdown / And it’s so fun for me to see / You should have thought of that / You should have come prepared / You can see what’s happening and you look a little scared”.
So, you know, not all feelgood. But it does feel good. It’s probably best to draw your own conclusions... This is Creep Show after all.
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Volume 2! MUNIR aka MIDNIGHT RUNNERS on his 5th drop with STAR CREATURE, hits us again with some diggin' deep dug ups from his corner of the world. This one picks up where his TUGBOAT EDITS VOL 14, HAUNTING ECHOES and NUSANTARA VOL 1 left off. Tidal waves of jazz funk, space disco & boogie.
A track first recorded by Felix Dickinson, DJ Shacra and Blane Lyon in 2001 finally gets a release in Blane’s memory with remixes from Ron Trent, Crazy P and Brother Lee Love.
Felix’s Dub offers a stripped back, slouchy workout that previews Blane’s lyrics in tastefully dubbed-out snatches. From this open canvas, Blane’s voice melts into disco glitter and cool funk, courtesy of UK mainstays Crazy P. On track three, house royalty Ron Trent spotlights Blane’s vocals underneath a steady groove, soaring into euphoria with passionate pads and colourful synths.
Next, Brother Lee Love’s Heads Down remix pulls the record into techy minimal territory: Blane’s voice loops pensively, speaking to the sultry, eyes-closed part of the night. The digital release also features the bonus Brother Lee Love’s Hands Up mix which takes us back to the surface of house music’s hopeful vision with the help of tender melodies, Blane’s direct speaking voice, and a chorus of joyous synths.
Repress! Essential garage Zamrock/soul/funk: the first official reissue of the celebrated band’s one and only album.
The musical style that became known as Zamrock came to embody the economic despair that
followed the 1973-1974 oil crisis, which flung Zambia into recession and exacerbated a wide
range of social tensions. Much of Zamrock also captured the controversy of wider politics in
Africa and the world. Perhaps the finest example of this is Black Power by The Peace.
The Boyfriends, from Kitwe’s Chamboli Mine Township, supplied the founding members for Zamrock’s most
famous band, WITCH, and kick started one of Zamrock’s best bands, Peace. Their sole Zamrock entry, Black
Power, recorded at Malachite Film Studio circa 1973/4 and issued circa 1975, sounds like nothing else in the
Zamrock canon: a lost message drifiting from the flower power era, imbued with a fiery Zambian voice.
epressed! Proto-punk and garage Zamrock: the celebrated guitarist Paul
Ngozi’s essential debut album. Featuring Chrissy Zebby Tembo
Guitarist/vocalist Paul Ngozi’s debut album – under the name Ngozi Family - is an important record: not just in the Zamrock genre,
but in the global rock canon. Day of Judgement is an introduction to the most intense, raw and inimitable golden era Zamrock
recorded, as it paved the way for a dozen Paul Ngozi and Ngozi Family releases (the most famous being drummer Chrissy Zebby
Tembo’s My Ancestors) that straddled the line between funk and punk, of driving hard rock and Zambian folk melodies and rhythms.
Day of Judgement was released in 1976, the same year as other, now famous, Zamrock albums, from WITCH’s Lazy Bones!! to Rikki
Ililonga’s Zambia. But it sounds like none of its counterparts. Part of that stems from its frenzied primitivism, the Ngozi Family’s
attempt to overcome a lack of musical acumen with sheer force of will.
That will allowed Paul Ngozi to overcome a humble upbringing to become the most unlikely combination: Zamrock’s most beloved
star in its brief but now-well chronicled arc; the only musician to maintain his fame and recording prowess in the dark ages of the
’80s; an inspiration to not only aging but young Zambians — and now others, beyond Zambia’s borders.
But one cannot imagine Paul Ngozi without this album, a full-on aural assault that sounds as wild nearly forty years after its release
as it must have sounded in the developing Zamrock landscape from which it emerged. We listen to this anachronistic yet prescient
album now as a wholly original, completely unpredictable album in line with those from mavericks from across the world – from the
Ramones to the Sex Pistols to Death. And, though it’s been over two decades since Paul Ngozi’s passing, his voice and vision still
seem exciting, powerful, unique, unvarnished, new.
It's a sizzling seven up for Moiss Music here as they draw together four different artists to offer up one cut each for this new various artists collection.
Boogietraxx goes heavy on the filter vibes on 'S N T' which is French touch disco-house of the highest order. Kellit's 'Pryscoks Sockin Socks' is all about sultry sax lines and loose-limbed disco house beats while C Da Afro gets heads up with the streaming sunshine synths of 'Don't Be Quiet.' Groovemasta shut down with the funky Afro-disco stylings of 'Gonna Make U Rock.'
*The product of a move from South Carolina to Berkeley, CA and the subsequent extended separation from loved ones, Toro Y Moi's third full-length, Anything in Return, puts Chaz Bundick right in the middle of the producer/songwriter dichotomy that his first two albums established.
*There's a pervasive sense of peace with his tendency to dabble in both sides of the modern music-making spectrum, and he sounds comfortable engaging in intuitive pop production and putting forth the impression of unmediated id.
*The producer's hand is prominent- not least in the sampled "yeah"s and "uh"s that give the album a hip-hop-indebted confidence- and many of the songs feature the 4/4 beats and deftly employed effects usually associated with house music. Tracks like "High Living" and "Day One" show a considerably Californian influence, their languid funk redolent of a West Coast temperament, and elsewhere- not least on lead single, "So Many Details"- the record plays with darker atmospheres than we're used to hearing from Toro Y Moi. Sounding quite assured in what some may call this songwriter's return to producer-hood, Anything in Return is Bundick uninhibited by issues of genre, an album that feels like the artist's essence.
*Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Chaz Bundick has been toying with various musical projects since early adolescence. Having spent his formative years playing in punk and indie rock acts, his protean Toro Y Moi project has been his vessel for further musical exploration since 2001. During his time spent studying graphic design at the University of South Carolina, Chaz became increasingly focused on his solo work, incorporating electronics and allowing a wider range of influences- French house, Brian Wilson's pop, 80s R&B, and Stones Throw hip-hop- to show up in his music. By the time he graduated in spring 2009, Chaz had refined his sound to something all his own. Music journals across the board touted his hazy recordings as the sound of the summer, and he released his debut album, Causers of This in early 2010.
*Since then, Bundick has proven himself to be not just a prolific musician, but a diverse one as well, letting each successive release broaden the scope of the Toro Y Moi oeuvre. The funky psych-pop of 2011's Underneath the Pine evinced an artist who could create similar atmospheres even without the aid of source material and drum machines. His Freaking Out EP, a handful of singles and remixes, and a retrospective box-set plot points all along the producer/songwriter spectrum in which he's worked since his debut, and Anything In Return is another exciting offering that shows he's still not ready to settle into any one genre.
On June 16th, 2023, Steven Julien and Kyle Hall return with their first EP together in ten years, CROWN. The record follows earlier EPs the duo created under their former alias Funkinevil, 2013's Ignorant and 2012's Night/Dusk. The record once again brings together two artists from opposite sides of the pond—Julien hailing from London and Hall representing Detroit—with a shared love for soul in its purest essence.
Opening "Page 1", a pitched-down vocal by James Massiah pronounces, "My plan—won't let you take it from hand." That alone could be considered the nut graph of a record about taking ownership, created by two vanguards in the electronic music scene that, a decade ago, insisted on infusing their music with soul in a commercial club circuit lacking in it.
Assembled from a few years-worth of studio jams in Julien's studio, Crown dials up the staticky warmth present on earlier Funkinevil tracks like "Dusk" and "In The Grid." Across seven songs, Funkinevil shaves off some of their tougher elements, instead shooting for pastoral melodies and funky basslines, like on "Page 2", where Vicky Flint's flute flutters sleepily over breaks and a groovy Korg synthesizer. But the atmosphere on the EP is also grander than ever—on "Page 5," Cloud's wistful melisma soars over Flint's bleating saxophone and wandering sci-fi synths.
With all this attention to funky musicality, it's only fitting that two legends specializing in the craft would land on the B-side—Däm Funk revs up "Page 3" with a slamming kick and his unmistakable coolness, and Reggie B turns "Page 5" into a sludgy, jazzy dance party.
In the words of Julien, "I think a lot of people have forgotten about what this whole thing is about. Musically, artistry and everything. So I'm happy this is what we represent on this project."
Vienna impact on RFR! PELETRONIC blesses us with his own unique blueprint of abstract house.
„Riddim & Bassline“ are the main ingredients for the opener of his
„Honey Badger EP“. A rumbling, buzzing and funk loaden predator digs his way into our ear canal.
„Sry I’m dazed AF“ - words we‘d sometimes like to address our supervisor with, especially after a serious weekend night out. A grating, distorted Miami Bass variant on a Deep House bouquet that lives up to his title.
„True Brew“ also starts wonderfully imperfect. Blustering beats and scruffy hi hats are being perfectly paired with a piano harmony. Bring us another two or twenty of this special drink!
Last but not least we got a remix by none other than DMX Krew, who provides a bubbly finish to „Riddim & Bassline“. There is not much left to say, cos if you got Ed DMX on your record, really everything has been said.
Mixed Coloured Vinyl
The duo of Parisian DJs and producers, Cléon & Jazzy Pidjay, are back under the name Last Bongo In Paris, with a new 7 inch full of Latin Funk & Jazz Funk atmosphere... With raw drums, heavy breaks and a jazzy flavor, these 3 tracks should quickly become a hit for all groovers and dancefloors!!
Cléon & Jazzy Pidjay have long been united by their love of hip-hop music and culture. DJ Cleon is one of the best French producers of breakdance fight music, also respected as a fine wax seeker, mixing all kinds of music, like disco, funk, soul, jazz, breakbeat, hip -hop and older and newer. recordings.
Alongside his pal Jazzy Pidjay and his great production and mixing skills, they give new dancefloor life to hidden and forgotten musical treasures, through funky uptempo tracks.
- A1: Build A Better World (Feat Emer Dineen - Hugh Hardie Remix)
- A2: The Prescription Is Love (Cliques Remix)
- B1: Time To Think (Feat Inja & The Secretary-General - Think Tonk Remix)
- B2: Final View From The Rooftops (Feat Cydnei B - Justin Hawkes Remix)
- C1: Lonely Sirens (Feat Elsa Esmeralda - London Elektricity Vip)
- C2: Funkopolis (Mozey Remix)
- C3: She Slowly Caught Fire (Feat Bulgarian Goddess - Winslow Remix)
- D1: I Wish You Could See It Too (Feat Urbandawn - Lilac Remix)
- D2: Kubrick's View (Degs & Muriuki Remix)
- D3: Never Trust A Hippy (Logisitics Remix)
- E1: Possible Worlds (Feat Inja - Digital Native Remix)
- E2: Empty Seat At The Table (Feat Whiney - Whiney Vip)
- F1: Don't Give Up Now (Feat Bulgarian Goddess - Villem Remix)
- F2: Well That's A Switch (Polaris Remix)
- F3: Funkopolis (Seba Remix)
Stimela were a popular and successful South African Afro-fusion outfit led by guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, producer and arranger Ray Phiri. The band was formed under the name ‘The Cannibals’ during the 1970s when Phiri got together with drummer Isaac Mtshali, keyboard player Thabo Lloyd Lelosa and bass player Jabu Sibumbe. They initially started out as instrumentalists, but later evolved to Afro-fusion when they joined forces with vocalist Jacob “Mparanyana” Radebe in 1975. The story of ‘The Cannibals’ ends when Radebe died in 1978 but the ‘Stimela’ story was only just beginning.
In 1979, after a life-changing experience in Mozambique (where they were stranded for three months) the band members had to sell all their belongings to take a train home. This trip was a watershed moment as it was here where they conceived the new name for the band: The Zulu word for “locomotive-train” STIMELA.
Stimela would soon become little short of an institution in their home country of South Africa. With soulful tunes and gripping lyrics, the band has recorded platinum-winning albums such as Fire, Passion and Ecstasy, Shadows, Fear and Pain & Look Listen and Decide. In addition to recording their own material, the group supplied instrumental accompaniment on albums by a lengthy list of legendary artists. Stimela would go on to gain global fame after being featured on Paul Simon’s iconic 1986 ‘Graceland’ album and the mega tour that followed.
Ray Phiri would enter into many successful collaborations with major acts and artists such as Harari, Joan Baez, Willie Nelson and Manu Dibango. In 2017 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died at the age of 70. Phiri has received many awards in recognition for his contribution in the music industry, one of these is the Order of Ikhamanga awarded to him by the South African president. This was to honor his sterling contribution to the South African music industry and the successful use of arts as an instrument of social transformation.
Stimela is the tale of a South African band who have battled their way through dark days to take their rightful place in the forefront of the South African apartheid-era music invasion. One of their most memorable tracks “Whispers in the Deep” was even restricted from being broadcasted by the old South African Broadcasting Corporation.
On the album we are presenting you today (Fire, Passion and Ecstasy from 1984) the unique sounds of Ray Phiri’s Stimela are fully showcased. Expect infectious hypnotic build-up grooves, cinematic lowdown jazz-funk, Afro-soul, delightful reggae, gospel influences and funky synth-boogie sounds…all with a touch of early eighties new wave and hints of Island disco mixed with sensual bubblegum pop. It comes as no surprise that the album has now become a sought-after item due to its addictive and original-sounding nature, a must-have for any self-respecting record digger!
These recordings completely encapsulate Stimela’s fusion style. They managed to craft a modern South African sound that continues to influence SA musicians to this day. Never in a rush, yet always with a sense of purpose and direction – like the steam train after which they took their name.
Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first reissue of this fantastic Afro-fusion classic since 1990 (originally released in 1984 on Gallo Records) & this is also the first time the album is getting a release outside of the African continent. This rare record (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (limited to 500 copies) complete with the original artwork. Also included is a double-sided insert containing rare pictures of the band.
- A1: Jpye & E11E - Freedom Ain't Free
- A2: Jpye & Da Roc - You Freak Out
- A3: Jpye & E11E - Shiver
- B1: Jpye & Da Roc - Xcuse My French
- B2: Jpye & Renato - Va La-Bas (Feat Michael T)
- B3: Jpye & Renato - Tutto Ok
- C1: Jpye & Leonidas - Lazyjack
- C2: Jpye & Renato - Take Off
- C3: Jpye & Da Roc - Spinnaker
- D1: Jpye & Iamrobd - Fingers Crossed
- D2: Jpye - Freedom Ain't Free (Instrumental)
- D3: Jpye & Da Roc - Spinnaker (Instrumental)
Jean-Philippe Altier’s first full-length excursion as Jpye, 2021’s Samba With You, was heralded a contemporary Balearic pop gem – a superbly summery, sun-kissed set full of atmospheric instrumentation, colourful synth sounds, strong songs and star turns from a wide variety of musical friends and guest performers.
Bleu Your Mind, his hotly anticipated follow-up, takes a similar sonic approach to its predecessor, with Altier being joined in the studio by friends old (vocalist e11e, keyboardist Michael T and fellow Twonk members Leonidas and Renato Tonini all reprise their roles from ‘Samba With You’) and new (Da Roc and Iamrobd) on a set that effortlessly mixes and matches elements of nu-disco, jazz-funk, laidback synth-pop, Italo-disco and Balearic beats.
Those who savoured ‘Samba With You’ will feel at home right away, as e11e sings softly and sweetly atop the gentle Latin infused shuffle, dusk-ready instrumentation and chiming vibraphone solos of ‘Freedom Ain’t Free’. French composer and keyboardist Da Roc make’s his first appearance on the following track, the duelling electric pianos and synths of sun-splashed instrumental Balearic pop gem ‘You Freak Out’, before e11e returns on the throbbing and suspenseful ‘Shiver’– a re-imagined and genuinely glassy-eyed cover of Marie Laure Sachs’ sleazy 1978 Italian disco jam of the same name. So, it continues, with Altier and his collaborators painting scintillating sonic pictures in kaleidoscopic colours.
Impeccable arrangements and pin-sharp instrumentation work in perfect harmony with seductive grooves that pack plenty of subtle swing. Even more impressively, ‘Bleu Your Mind’ is an album that genuinely rewards repeat listens, with each successive spin revealing more musical touches and cannily crafted melodic motifs. As a result, highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the delay-laden jazz-funk-goes-electrofunk fizz of ‘Xcuse My French’ (with Da Roc), and the humid afternoon heat of ‘Va Là-Bas’ – a gorgeous and immersive, sunset-ready affair produced alongside Renato and featuring dazzling kets from Michael T) – to the slow-motion Gallic/Italian reggae-pop of ‘Tutto OK’ (a nod to the tropical-tinged reggae sounds created in France during the 1980s), and the slap-bass sporting, smoothed-out (but low-down) grooves of Renato hook-up ‘Take Off’.
As ‘Bleu Your Mind’ progresses, the musical details become more refined, the grooves drowsier and the mood more horizontal. This subtle shift can be heard in Leonidas co-production ‘Lazyjack’ – all chiming lead lines, languid bass guitar, snappy drum machine beats and glistening guitar motifs – the vocoder-sporting stoner funk of ‘Spinnaker’, and the yearning brilliance of ‘Fingers Crossed’. The album’s most emotive and immersive moment by some distance, ‘Fingers Crossed’ sees Altier and collaborator Iamrobd (also a fellow Twonk member) tease out a slow-motion groove in combination with lilting Spanish guitar solos, ultra-dreamy chords, twinkling pianos and delay-laden drum machine hits. Bittersweet and brilliant, it’s a track guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. By the time it fades out, via a sustained piano chord, you’ll be sat or stood in wide-eyed, open-mouthed wonder.
Colombian sisters Elia and Elizabeth Fleta recorded a handful of songs between 1972 and 1973, accompanied by Jimmy Salcedo and his group La Onda Tres, mixing soft-pop with a touch of tropical-pastoral funk, singer-songwriter sweetened by the subtle perfume of Caribbean music and psychedelia. We are now happy to present two of the most celebrated songs by the Colombian sisters together on a 45 for the first time. A Tropical funk pop gem! Colombian sisters Elia and Elizabeth Fleta recorded a handful of songs between 1972 and 1973, accompanied by Jimmy Salcedo and his group La Onda Tres, mixing soft-pop with a touch of tropical-pastoral funk, singer-songwriter sweetened by the subtle perfume of Caribbean music and psychedelia. These elements blended graciously, brimming with freshness, in a perfect partnership of sharp melodies with lyrics inspired by a genuine juvenile curiosity about life's mysteries, love and nature in their simplest forms. The songs of Elia y Elizabeth remain among us as part of the most wonderful pop legacy of all time. ‘Alegría’ and ‘Ponte Bajo el Sol’ are two of the most celebrated songs by the Colombian sisters. We are now happy to present them together on a 45 for the first time. TRACKLIST Side A Alegría Side B Ponte bajo el sol
- A1: Hip Hop Delivery Intro
- A2: Global Chemistry (Feat Craig G)
- A3: Go Move (Feat Andy Cooper)
- A4: Wild Thing (Feat Birdapres)
- A5: Who`s Nice Kid (Feat Chrome)
- A6: King Of Rock
- B1: Chasing The Funk (Paul Sitter`s Version)
- B2: B-Boys Impressions
- B3: It`s On Like That (Feat Dr Syntax)
- B4: Bollywood Cannot Carry Double
- B5: Nothing Gonna Change (His Way)
- B6: Outro
Breakbeat Paradise Recordings has teamed up with hip-hop legend Paul Sitter who has gather some of dopest MCs on the planet to feature on the epic LP: Hip-Hip Delivery.
The LP is a celebration to the oldskool hiphop vibes that started it all by cutting and scratching up the classic funk record, twisted in a brand-new way with MCs from around the world dropping fire on the mic.
Starting out with the intoxicating Global Chremistry with Craig G and some big funky grooves. Moving on to the Go Move featuring the awesome Andy Cooper on a smooth boom bap joint. The classic Wild Thing gets a oldskool hiphop twist with some big rhymes by Birdapres and cuts by DJ Robert Smith. The breaks are about to get serious as Chromedrops some high paced rhymes on the Who's Nice Kid track. Finally the A-Side finishes up paying some respect to some of the classics beat and breaks from the early hip days on the King Of Rock jam.
The flip side kicks off with more groovy, soulful hip hop featuring Andy Cooper on the catchy Chasing the Funk. Paul Sitter breaks is down nice on another slick hip hop anthem B-Boy Impressions before letting Dr Syntax take it over on the mic on the It's On Like That jam.
The last 3 joints on the album lets Paul Sitter get busy on some funky hip-hop creations showcasing his classic breakbeats and heavy sample techniques.
Breakbeat Paradise Recordings' first full album release since 2019 to drop on 12" vinyl but with an instant classic release like this we felt there was no other way to do it.
After the success of their previous "Get Mine/I'm Gone" 7" vinyl 45 release LRK Records is proud to announce the digital single follow up by Bella Brown & The Jealous Lovers!!
Bella Brown & The Jealous Lovers are a Los Angeles based, transplanted fromChicago, unit that specializes in 60s/70s soul and funk. The band is fronted by the dynamically charismatic Bella Brown. A fiery female lead singer that is a mixture of Tina Turner and Sharon Jones, with a persona that is reminiscent of the empowered female
leads of 70s Blaxploitation films. Backed by the musicianship of The Jealous Lovers they form a unit that expertly expresses a uniquely modern interpretation of the traditionalsoul and funk genres.
Their new single "What Will You Leave Behind" exemplifies this
ideal. The track is a heartfelt call to action in these times of failed humanity and injustice. A Motown influenced message of hope that features sympathetic vocals, supportive horns, and a funky twist that asks us to create a better future by considering the effects of our present.
Look for "What Will You Leave Behind" March 3rd, 2023 on all streaming platforms, and stay tuned for an announcement from LRK Records regarding "What Will You Leave Behind" and a future Bella Brown & The Jealous Lovers 7" vinyl 45 released!
A kaleidoscope of harmony vocals - as Crosby, Stills and Nash might have sounded with a funky back beat. Delicate acoustic fingerpicking, warmed by a swell of brass before a drama of electric unfolds. Guitar band music, delivered with the sensibilities of someone who knows how to make you dance. Sun-kissed blue-eyed soul, reminiscent of Ned Doheny, but emanating from a beach far from California.
These are the sounds of Jim, as heard on debut album 'Love Makes Magic'.
Debuting in 2021 on the folk-informed 'Falling That You Know' EP, Jim is the latest alias of songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and renowned DJ Jim Baron. Famed as co-founder and musical director of festival-stunning favourites Crazy P, his latest Jim project is a musical journey unlike anything he has done before.
If Bach can go Moog, so can cumbia! This surprisingly funky novelty tune has one of those break-beat intros that loop makers drool for. Weird synth noodles and chipmunk chorus vocals only add to the “what the?” factor (in a good way!). On the flipside, another updated Costeño classic, with crazy synth noodles, scratchy guitar looping and odd vocals. Hats off to Fruko and Fuentes for letting this experiment in Afro-modernization happen. First time reissue as a separate release, previously only available as part of the long-deleted “Big Box of Afrosound” (VAMPI 45062).
Following on from the well-received release of Toc De Breaks earlier this year, Spanish duo JP Sunshine and Guim return with a full collaborative EP, Toc De Jaume, released on Steel City Dance Discs.
Coordinating a masterful blend of funk-infused instrumentals, melodic breakbeats and acid-tinged basslines, Toc De Jaume is unique in its character, which bears its defining traits from its two creators, JP Sunshine and Guim, whose partnership is nothing newfound, yet, in light of this EP, feels as fresh as ever.
Toc De Jaime contains a vast variation of sounds within its entirety, from the funky, acid dripped breakbeat of La Fiesta, which was released earlier this year, to tracks like JP Sunshine’s I Want To Stay, released in 2020, which offer a more melodic, feelgood aspect to this EP, and the sound of both artists as a whole.
Through Toc De Jaime, JP Sunshine and Guim present an EP that feels like an ode to the sounds of their shared native homeland; sounds which the duo manipulate and rework within the confines of an electronic dance music context, resulting in a perfect marriage of diverse sounds.




















