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Soul Quest are proud to present the latest release from Berlin based DJ and producer Jean-Jez, who continues on with a musical journey with flourishing roots and a bright, bright future.

Jean-Jez has made waves in Berlin’s underground for a good while now, with his Kedi Bounce parties (whom he co-founded) quickly becoming a celebratory cornerstone of community and culture. His DJing style and production approach act as a core expressional loop, with Jean-Jez embracing a multitude of styles and sounds with both. Bridging the gap between house, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Afro-Latin and beyond, Jean-Jez is all about nurturing the collective joy found within music - either through his own tunes or deep in the mix at a Kat Nip party.

‘Soul Notion’ wears its heart on its sleeve, and embodies the core musical principles to which Jean-Jez holds so very dear. ‘Did you want to dance!’ kicks things off with a deep melodic embrace, before spreading outwards with brassy frills, evocative simmering drumming patterns and vocal samples which kick the inner consciousness into another gear.

‘Take me to the moon’ contains an up and front piano lead, with uptempo drums providing a twist and flair to proceedings. Some inspired vocals add further to the atmosphere, one of airiness and emotional escapism.

‘What is it tell me’ stirs into life with a wide scope through the low ends, but Jean-Jez cooks up a storm with some wondrous jazz guitar that weaves one final spell to get lost deep within.

To wrap things up, Jean-Jez enlists his own collective: Kedi Bounce to put an Acid twist on ‘Did You Want To Dance’ to close the ep in style. This mix is exclusive to the vinyl mix and won’t be released digitally.

Jean-Jez looks to celebrate and resonate through his music, and this EP is a full demonstration of his abilities to bring things together. Seamlessly blending some of his favourite styles, this record contains all the feels to be wished for, and an experience that leaves plenty of room for return visits, this EP has you covered.

Pittsburgh synth wonder and beatmaker BusCrates presses two brand new tracks onto translucent vinyl for this cutting 7". On the A side, Anda channels her inner Gwen Guthrie on "Drift," with an anthem for the uncompromising types who will never hide their bright burning light. Lifted from BusCrates upcoming EP Altitude, "Drift" finds Buscrates and DJ Epik combining their arsenal of vintage synthesizers to produce a sophisticated, yet lowrider-ready boogie jam that recalls Deodato's overlooked work with the aforementioned Guthrie. On the back side, vinyl-exclusive "Serenity" is an instrumental offering that picks up the pace without disturbing the Minimoog meditation session.

This new TopicDrift45 release comes straight outta Aachen. Originally released in 1982 on Rainer Wiedensohlers "Nabel Musik" Imprint with a whole LP called "Floating" and for the first time on a DJ friendly 45 cut. Side A "Running" was and still is a well known mover in the UK Northen & Asian Scene. While holding down the laidback mellow jazzy vibes with "Till We Get There" on the B Side. A true example for all those DJs out there collecting & spinning organic music in all its forms. Get it! :-)

It's another 45 Rocafort treatment!

"If There's a Will, There's a Way" was written by Don Covay and Donny Hathaway and released in 1972 on the American Janus Records label. Covay, a key figure in the 1960s and 1970s soul scene, was known for his gritty voice and songwriting for artists like Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. Hathaway, on the other hand, was an influential soul singer, composer, and pianist often celebrated for his collaborations with Roberta Flack. This song blends both of their distinct styles: Covay's raw, Southern soul vibe and Hathaway's sophisticated, jazz-influenced arrangements. Like Donny Hathaway's live album released that same year in 1972, this track grabs you from the very first notes. A classic soul groove, with a powerful vocal delivery!

Notably, this track was later sampled by Pete Rock in his remix of "Lots of Lovin'" with C.L. Smooth, bringing the soulful essence of the original into the realm of 90s hip-hop.

On the b-side, another track from the fantastic Janus Records catalogue. Harvey Mandel's "Baby Batter," originally released in 1971 is a blend of funky blues and psychedelic rock vibes representing another popular genre from the early 70's in the USA. Mandel's signature guitar work shines throughout the track and the drum break in the introduction will please the hip-hop heads and 45 DJs out there.

Jazz & Milk-Labelhead und Freestyle-DJ-Koryphäe Dusty aus München meldet sich mit seiner neuen EP "As Above So Below" zurück, die gefühlvoll, warm und grenzüberschreitend Deep-House-Grooves mit Elementen aus Jazz, Dub und westafrikanischen Rhythmen kombiniert, die einen Sound erzeugen, der ebenso introspektiv wie dancefloortauglich ist. Die EP ist eine berauschende Mischung der rohen Stimmkraft und den perkussiven Rhythmen des ghanaischen Künstlers King Owusu (Jembaa Groove), der die Bühne mit Legenden wie Ebo Taylor und Pat Thomas teilte, und erscheint zum 20-jährigen Labeljubiläum in 2025. Support kommt von Peter Kruder, Severino, Don Letts, Opolopo und dem jüngst verstorbenen DJ Harvey. Dusty legt weiterhin weltweit - Johannesburg bis Istanbul, Manila bis London - auf, veranstaltet die Jazz & Milk-Labelabende in München und Köln und eine Radiosendung auf dublab.de moderiert.

"Full support of EP!" - DJ Harvey, Klymax Bali, International Feel, Pikes

"Very nice! Thank you!" - Peter Kruder, Kruder & Dorfmeister

"Great EP! Love it!" - Ruff Stuff, Shall Not Fade

"SEXY... DEEEEEP." - Severino, Horse Meat Disco

"Warm and deep - very nice!" - Opolopo

"Good to go on Culture Clash Radio!" - Don Letts, BBC Radio 6 Music

Volume 1 of this expertly curated project of 90s Italian House - put together by Don Carlos.

If Paradise was half as nice… by Fabio De Luca.

Googling “paradise house”, the first results to pop up are an endless list of European b&b’s with whitewashed lime façades, all of them promising “…an unmatched travel experience a few steps from the sea”. Next, a little further down, are the institutional websites of a few select semi-luxury retirement homes (no photos shown, but lots of stock images of smiling nurses with reassuring looks). To find the “paradise house” we’re after, we have to scroll even further down. Much further down.

It feels like yesterday, and at the same time it seems like a million years ago. The Eighties had just ended, and it was still unclear what to expect from the Nineties. Mobile phones that were not the size of a briefcase and did not cost as much as a car? A frightening economic crisis? The guitar-rock revival?! Certainly, the best place to observe that moment of transition was the dancefloor. Truly epochal transformations were happening there. From America, within a short distance one from the other, two revolutionary new musical styles had arrived: the first one sounded a bit like an “on a budget” version of the best Seventies disco-music – Philly sound made with a set of piano-bar keyboards! – the other was even more sparse, futuristic and extraterrestrial. It was a music with a quite distinct “physical” component, which at the same time, to be fully grasped, seemed to call for the knotty theories of certain French post-modern philosophers: Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Paul Virilio... Both those genres – we would learn shortly after – were born in the black communities of Chicago and Detroit, although listening to those vinyl 12” (often wrapped in generic white covers, and with little indication in the label) you could not easily guess whether behind them there was a black boy from somewhere in the Usa, or a girl from Berlin, or a pale kid from a Cornish coastal town.

Quickly, similar sounds began to show up from all corners of Europe. A thousand variations of the same intuition: leaner, less lean, happier, slightly less intoxicated, more broken, slower, faster, much faster... Boom! From the dancefloors – the London ones at least, whose chronicles we eagerly read every month in the pages of The Face and i-D – came tales of a new generation of clubbers who had completely stopped “dressing up” to go dancing; of hot tempered hooligans bursting into tears and hugging everyone under the strobe lights as the notes of Strings of Life rose up through the fumes of dry ice (certain “smiling” pills were also involved, sure). At this point, however, we must move on to Switzerland.

In Switzerland, in the quiet and diligent town of Lugano, between the 1980s and 1990s there was a club called “Morandi”. Its hot night was on Wednesdays, when the audience also came from Milan, Como, Varese and Zurich. Legend goes that, one night, none less than Prince and Sheila E were spotted hiding among the sofas, on a day-off of the Italian dates of the Nude Tour… The Wednesday resident and superstar was an Italian dj with an exotic name: Don Carlos. The soundtrack he devised was a mixture of Chicago, Detroit, the most progressive R&B and certain forgotten classics of old disco music: practically, what the Paradise Garage in New York might have sounded like had it not closed in 1987. In between, Don Carlos also managed to squeeze in some tracks he had worked on in his studio on Lago Maggiore. One in particular: a track that was rather slow compared to the BPM in fashion at the time, but which was a perfect bridge between house and R&B. The title was Alone: Don Carlos would explain years later that it had to be intended both in the English meaning of “by itself” and like the Italian word meaning “halo”. That wasn’t the only double entendre about the song, anyway. Its own very deep nature was, indeed, double. On the one hand, Alone was built around an angelic keyboard pattern and a romantic piano riff that took you straight to heaven; on the other, it showcased enough electronic squelches (plus a sax part that sounded like it had been dissolved by acid rain) to pigeonhole the tune into the “junk modernity” section, aka the hallmark of all the most innovative sounds of the time: music that sounded like it was hand-crafted from the scraps of glittering overground pop.

No one knows who was the first to call it “paradise house”, nor when it happened. Alternative definitions on the same topic one happened to hear included “ambient house”, “dream house”, “Mediterranean progressive”… but of course none were as good (and alluring) as “paradise house”. What is certain is that such inclination for sounds that were in equal measure angelic and neurotic, romantic and unaffective, quickly became the trademark of the second generation of Italian house. Music that seemed shyly equidistant from all the rhythmic and electronic revolutions that had happened up to that moment (“Music perfectly adept at going nowhere slowly” as noted by English journalist Craig McLean in a legendary field report for Blah Blah Blah magazine). Music that to a inattentive ear might have sounded as anonymous as a snapshot of a random group of passers-by at 10AM in the centre of any major city, but perfectly described the (slow) awakening in the real world after the universal love binge of the so-called Second Summer of Love.

For a brief but unforgettable season, in Italy “paradise house” was the official soundtrack of interminable weekends spent inside the car, darting from one club to another, cutting the peninsula from North to centre, from East to West coast in pursuit of the latest after-hours disco, trading kilometres per hour with beats per minute: practically, a new New Year’s Eve every Friday and Saturday night. This too was no small transformation, as well as a shock for an adult Italy that was encountering for the first time – thanks to its sons and daughters – the wild side of industrial modernity. The clubbers of the so-called “fuoriorario” scene were the balls gone mad in the pinball machine most feared by newspapers, magazines and TV pundits. What they did each and every weekend, apart from going crazy to the sound of the current white labels, was linking distant geographical points and non-places (thank you Marc Augé!) – old dance halls, farmhouses and business centres – transformed for one night into house music heaven. As Marco D’Eramo wrote in his 1995 essay on Chicago, Il maiale e il grattacielo: “Four-wheeled capitalism distorts our age-old image of the city, it allows the suburbs to be connected to each other, whereas before they were connected only by the centre (…) It makes possible a metropolitan area without a metropolis, without a city centre, without downtown. The periphery is no longer a periphery of any centre, but is self-centred”.

“Paradise house” perfectly understood all of this and turned it into a sort of cyber-blues that didn’t even need words, and unexpectedly brought back a drop of melancholic (post?)-humanity within a world that by then – as we would wholly realise in the decades to come – was fully inhuman and heartless. A world where we were all alone, and surrounded by a sinister yellowish halo, like a neon at the end of its life cycle. But, for one night at least, happy.

Mr Bongo is proud to present an official reissue of Zé Rodrix E A Agência De Mágicos ‘O Esquadrão Da Morte’. Written, arranged and composed by the genius of Zé Rodrix and performed by his band 'Agência de Mágicos’, this Brazilian library funk beauty is the soundtrack to Carlos Imperial's 1975 film of the same title. Echoing European soundtrack maestros such as Roy Budd and Ennio Morricone, but with a Brazilian swagger, Zé Rodrix's score is a sublime gem that needs rediscovery.

Rich in 70's soundtrack cool, the score is packed with orchestrated jazz, chase scene-funk, breaks, psychedelic freakouts and plenty of drama. The loose and quirky break-beat jazz-funk of 'Assalto' feels almost tailor-made for today's hip-hop production aesthetic. The opening drum break of 'Esconderijo' is a sampler’s dream and has already been reinterpreted by the Turkish Rapper Anıl Piyancı, as well as Brazil's DJ Caique.

Carlos Imperial was a jack of all trades. As a songwriter and music producer, he created a highly impressive back catalogue. It includes working with or writing songs for Tim Maia, Elza Soares, Brigitte Bardot, and Wilson Simonal. He also co-wrote the rare cult Brazilian 7" compacto 'Lindo Sonho Delirante (L. S. D') by Fábio. Carlos Imperial wrote liner notes and was an actor, filmmaker, television presenter, and media figure. His film 'O Esquadrão da Morte' is a violent heist movie starring Beto Bandeira, Claire Chevalier, and Baby Conceicao; in the vein of exploitation films and gritty, raw B-Movie cinema of the day. Both the film and album share striking, macabre artwork by artist Benicio.

The instrumentalist, arranger, and singer-songwriter Zé Rodrix has a musical achievements list that is also one to admire. He’s worked with the cream of Brazilian music, having written songs covered by the greats, including Quarteto Em Cy, Ronald Mesquita, Elis Regina, Karma, and Célia, to name just a few. His written arrangements have graced the music of Luli Lucinha E O Bando and Helio Matheus. He was a member of the iconic group Som Imaginário and played piano and synthesizer on Secos & Molhado's classic 1973 album.

We are super pleased to make this dusty treasure available again. It is a wonderful soundtrack score that more than holds its own with its European and American counterparts of the era.

PPU's debut compilation from our favorite femme, Maryn E. Coote. Previously released material featured on PPU-061 with her son Uku Kuut, "Suggestive" gave us access to the endless trove of studio recordings, out-takes, demos, and new material from the estonian-swedish singer/songwriter. Born in Tallinn, Estonia in 1946, Marju Kuut (AKA Maryn E. Coote) was a prolific jazz singer, producer, radio host, and DJ, having recorded hundreds of tracks from the 1960s until around the time of her death in 2022. Maryn dedicated this album to her son Uku Kuut.

DJ Support: Carlita, Dar Disku, Disco Arabesquo & Moving Still

Melbourne-based producer Rami Imam unveils Safara, the latest release on his own label, Ponda Records, which he founded in 2020 as a platform for his cross-cultural sound explorations. Drawing from the rich traditions of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean, Safara is a six-track odyssey of energetic and euphoric house and disco house, deeply rooted in both nostalgia and innovation. Safara is the culmination of Imam's immersion into the golden eras of global music, channelling the soulful rhythms and melodies of Afro-Funk, West African Highlife, Arab Disco, Bollywood, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Libyan Reggae, and Algerian Rai. By blending these timeless influences with a modern, dancefloor-oriented focus, Imam creates a sound that is both steeped in history and refreshingly new.

With a sonic palette that includes iconic synths such as the Juno 106, Super 6, SH 101, Moog Model D, and the 303, Imam weaves the analog warmth of these instruments into lush, modern productions. Piano and strings—his favourite classical instruments—add an organic layer of emotional depth, connecting the pulse of the dancefloor with the timeless elegance of traditional composition.

Safara is more than a collection of tracks; it is a journey across continents and eras, where the pulse of the past meets the driving force of the present. Recorded in Melbourne but influenced by sounds from around the world, Safara invites listeners to traverse vast musical landscapes—from the hypnotic grooves of North African rhythms to the sun-drenched melodies of Mediterranean shores—culminating in a transportive experience that lingers long after the final beat fades.

By balancing the ancient with the futuristic, Imam has crafted a record that feels both comfortingly familiar and daringly innovative. Safara is a testament to the endless possibilities of blending cultures, genres, and eras into something that is not just heard but felt—music for the soul as much as for the dancefloor.

East meets west on this long-lost and super rare 1973 jazz album from Israel. Headed by Albert Piamenta, 'The Jazz workshop' was a group of jazz pioneers from the Middle East who sought to make the connection between the countries of their up-bringing and the hardcore New-York jazz sound of the 60's. Druze, Arab and Jewish folk compositions interpreted in a deep, mystical yet thumping manner, making this an absolute gem for jazz collectors and dj's alike.

In February 2023, multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and “genre-defying melody man” (Billboard) Amtrac released his highly-anticipated third album ‘Extra Time’ via Openers.

Inspired by a period of deep reflection during the 2020 lockdowns, ‘Extra Time’ consists of a handcrafted fuse of delicate textures and gritty styles into an unfiltered sonic trip, with each song depicting the process of emotions during a time of uncertainty for the future. It’s a 13-track exploration of forced introspection, a cohesive story that finishes with a surreal feeling of hope.

Amtrac stated: “I made this record to encompass what I was feeling during the times of uncertainty in the world, it helped me cope and was my outlet for everything I was going through. When the listener is done with this album I’m hoping to create the feeling of when you left the movie theater as a child and just saw something that made you think differently.”

Designed to mimic the tension and release of a classic film score, the unique sound of ‘Extra Time’ was heavily influenced by Amtrac’s immersion in the worlds of Jazz and 90s video game music, particularly the classic 90s computer game Grim Fandango and the sonic landscapes of Miles Davis and Stanley Turrentine in addition to the groundbreaking work of fellow electronic pioneers such as Bonobo and Dan Snaith.

Album highlights include kickoff track “Heard Me Right” which was described by Billboard as a “moving mix of rhythmic bass lines and atmospheric melodies”, “Contrast” featuring vocalist Reva Devito, and “Domino” featuring Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring that Fangoria described as “like John Carpenter and Basement Jaxx had a baby”. The album also features vocals from his friend Naeem, who worked closely with Amtrac on the jazzy and suspended-in-time groove of “Hesitation.” “Nobody Else” flips a vocal from the Four Tops classic “I Can’t Help Myself” over energetic drums and sultry guitar, and “Dancing With You” unfolds with traditional house elements toward an explosive climax of layered synths. Having made his name with intense DJ sets and creative remixes and collaborations, ‘Extra Time’ is the perfect showcase for Amtrac’s trademark stylistic dexterity and melodic sensitivity - and redefines what it means to create electronic music in 2023.

This follows his collab with Diplo and Leon Bridges on “High Rise” and the recent release of “I’ll Be Around”, his collaboration with English vocalist/producer Elderbrook.

Welcome into the world of scarse music for the ultimate connoisseurs, fine taste beatmakers and holy grails collectors.
You made a step close to The Edge.
From cult Italian soundtrack and 80's iconic anime, English and French library music, to tunes that made Hip Hop iconic anthem, Medline picked 10 compositions to cover, among his favorite crate diggers treasures.

With a 30 years Dj's culture, he unite on vinyl a collection of underground classics.
When other musicians sample, as former beatmaker, he found his fulfillment by playing the entire tracks, as homage to these composers.

In 2018 Solstice has set the corner stone of this unique artwork at the cross road of Jazz, Funk, Soul and Hip Hop worldwide culture.
With The Edge, the out of boundaries producer, placed the level even more higher.
The whole work is incredible, for a man alone, without music theory knowledge but playing flutes, horns, keyboard, guitar and many more instruments... creating in his little home studio the sound of a 70's orchestra.

Challenging and epic:
Epic for covers like A Day In The Life, Beatles cover by Les Demerle, took by Buck Wild for O.C. Time's Up and of course the eponym David Axelrod's The Edge on David McCallum album.

Challenging, for library anthem like Hot Dog, Ghetto or Keep Quiet by Jacky Giordano, sharp and definitely audacious.
Despite the variety of the ten themes, the man's touch is present each time, into the texture, sound taste and balance. Like a chef bringing up to date magical recipes.

The archetypal type of records My Bags loves to release, "The Edge" is built as a crate digger paradise, a timeless record linking past and present into a highly concentrate of divine grooves.

First Word Records is extremely proud to welcome aboard Takuya Kuroda.

A highly-respected trumpeter born in Kobe, Japan, Takuya is a forward-thinking musician that has developed a unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop music.

After following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz & contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid-noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects.

Following graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band (also including acclaimed bass player, Brady Watt). Premier said "The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…"

Takuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing five albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya's independently-produced debut album, 'Edge', followed by 'Bitter and High' the following year and 'Six Aces' on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album 'Rising Son', as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, 'Blue Note Voyage'. He released his 5th album 'Zigzagger' on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic 'Think Twice'.

Late Summer 2020, Takuya Kuroda returns with his sixth album 'Fly Moon Die Soon'.

In his words, "this album is about the irony between the greatness of nature and the beautiful obsceneness of humanity. Melodies and grooves fly back and forth from being spiritual to being vulgar."

It took two years to make this album. In 2018, I decided I just couldn't make albums the same way I had been in the past anymore. As a birthday treat to myself, I booked a studio in Brooklyn for two days, with only myself and an engineer, Todd Carder. I brought along some tracks I'd been building at home to see if we could complete them within that time. We began replacing sounds and adding texture, sampling noises from all over the studio; me sipping coffee, hitting a 26" kick drum, speeding up snares. At the end of the two days we were like "wow, I didn't know we could make tracks this good in this way". This is how the process of the full album started. Everything was based on my beats I made at home, inviting musicians in one by one, adding or replacing parts. I was very careful when developing these tracks; just note by note, part by part. I wanted to make the music effectively from a blend of two different recording methods; one very slickly produced part and one very organic part played by live musicians. I remember mixtapes from when I was kid, and wanted to make an album that wasn't just a bunch of flashy singles, trying to catch people's attention in the first 30 seconds, or full of guest features. Instead, I'm essentially just trying to let the grooves breath."

The album consists of nine tracks of excellence. The uptempo jazz-funk of 'ABC' and 'Moody' sit alongside soulful jazz cuts like 'Fade' and 'CHANGE', also featuring Corey King on vocals. The title track is a downtempo groove lead by a heavy Moog bassline, whilst 'Do No Why' contains an infectious piano riff throughout. Aside from Takuya's original compositions, he revisits two classics from Ohio Players ('Sweet Sticky Thing' featuring Alina Engibaryan on vocals) and Herbie Hancock ('Tell Me A Bedtime Story') whilst the album closes with the epic 'TKBK'.

Takuya adds "this special cover was inspired by the Golden Moon I saw during a photoshoot in Death Valley with my homie Hiroyuki Seo".

Takuya Kuroda is a truly unique talent, and this album is a realisation of the evolution of his sound.

'Fly Moon Die Soon' is released on Worldwide Award-winning UK label First Word Records on vinyl & digital in September 2020.

Vintage-Pariser Jazz. Vintage-Pariser Ambiente. Paris hat schon immer Jazzmusiker aus aller Welt in seine Clubs & Cafés gelockt. Paris ist insbesondere die spirituelle Heimat des Gypsy-Jazz, wo viele Jazzmusiker in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts in den Bals-Musettes der Stadt spielten. Django Reinhardt machte sich in den 1930/40ern mit dem Geiger Stéphane Grappelli und seinem Quintette du Hot Club de France einen Namen, ebenso wie mit den Bands von Alex Renard, Alix Combelle, Ray Ventura, Claude Bolling und Jerry Mango. Dieser LP-Sampler gibt einen hervorragenden Überblick über die damalige Szene, als kurz nach dem Krieg die Viertel Saint-Germain des Prés und Latin zahlreiche berühmte Jazzclubs beherbergten. Alle Tracks wurden remastert.

Since the late 90"s, Jakob "Dino" Dinesen has become a stalwart of the Danish jazz scene, performing with nearly everyone of note in the country as well as internationally celebrated names such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Jakob Bro and Paul Motian. Finding joy and inspiration in the building of bridges between genre boundaries, his career in music has seen him travel and perform all over the world, enriching his sound and soul with every new experience. His new record seeks to convey his dream of a future world at peace with itself. "Slow Flow" is set to release on January 25th on April Records. "I envision a world where people from every corner of the globe come together, dancing, sharing meals, and finding joy through my music. My children are a blend of Africa and Denmark, and I hope they"ll carry the traditions and wisdom of both their mother and father as they navigate their path. I would love for music like this to be the soundtrack to their journey through life." Rooted in the playful live sound of an atypical quintet featuring cello and djembe, Slow Flow sits in a unique space somewhere between earthy, simplistic, and acoustic and contemporary, electronic, and unexpected. The record"s sound is soft spoken and full of compassion-a dark-timbred music where the intimate, warm breath of his tenor saxophone intertwines with the crisp, organic tones of the cello. Together, they float over smooth, analog synths and electronic loops, while the carefully crafted lines of the bass and the gentle rhythm of hands on drum skins carry the music forward. Occasional erratic, quirky bursts from an affected keyboard and weaving improvisations offer moments of energy and contrast. Each of the album"s nine original compositions paint musical pictures of contentment that are dear to Dino, as well as offering musical tributes to four of his heroes in Yusef Lateef, Wayne Shorter, Coleman Hawkins and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis". Drawing on modern European jazz, African rhythms, Italian circus music, and reggae, Slow Flow plays as a deeply personal exploration of Dino"s identity, whilst providing a dream-like message of global peace that promises to resonate with like-minded people all around the world..

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder/CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J continues his trailblazing career with upcoming album 'The FORCE'.

LL’s highly anticipated 14th studio album The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) set for release September 6th follows over a decade long hiatus. The record was executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings. As LL was the label’s first release, there is no better way to represent the legacy of Def Jam Recordings on its 40th year

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J has created one of the most multifaceted careers and brands in entertainment and continues to display his wide range of talents with every project.

Four decades after he first burst onto the scene, LL COOL J continues his vibrant, trailblazing career. LL COOL J helped elevate the burgeoning rap and Hip-Hop scene of the 80’s, which developed into the musical and cultural phenomenon that is Hip-Hop as we know it today. Of LL’s many contributions to the culture, he also is credited with the creation of the acronym “G.O.A.T.” - short for “Greatest of All Time.”

First introduced to the world in 1984 as a Def Jam Recordings’ flagship artist, LL is the first rap artist to amass ten consecutive platinum-plus selling albums, including his critically-acclaimed debut album, RADIO, and the international, timeless anthem and album of the same name, MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT. LL’s hit singles include “Going Back to Cali,” “Doin’ It,” “Around the Way Girl,” “Loungin’”, “Headsprung,” and Hip-Hop’s first rap ballad “I Need Love.”

Up next, this fall LL is back to make his latest artistic contribution and continue to elevate Hip-Hop culture after over a decade long hiatus with the release of his highly anticipated new album, The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings.

In December 2017, LL became the first rapper to earn the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor, which is America’s highest achievement for any performer. In addition, he received his star on the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 21, 2016.
In March 2018, LL launched his own SiriusXM timeless Hip-Hop channel entitled “LL COOL J's Rock The Bells Radio,” garnering millions of daily listeners. The channel features a wide range of innovative and timeless Hip-Hop content, music, interviews, and in-depth retrospectives curated, programmed, and presented by the award-winning artist himself. Since founding the radio station, Rock The Bells has developed into a global platform that has become the preeminent voice for timeless Hip-Hop. Rock The Bells focuses on content, commerce and experiences that honor the CULTURE and the core elements of Hip-Hop – MCs, DJs, Breakers, Graffiti Artists – and more. Rock The Bells hosted its inaugural eponymous music festival in Queens, New York in August 2022, which sold out back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023, where LL headlined both festivals.

LL COOL J was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on October 30, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio for the 36th annual induction ceremony. Considered by most as the crowning achievement for one’s musical career, the ceremony was a celebration of LL’s lasting impact on Hip-Hop and the music industry.

In Summer 2023, LL COOL J, Rock The Bells, and Live Nation Urban kicked off his first arena tour in 30 years across North America called The F.O.R.C.E. Tour, inspired by the name of LL’s forthcoming album. Living up to the acronym for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy, the lineup for this tour was personally curated by LL COOL J. Building off their amazing performance together on the GRAMMY® Awards earlier that year celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, all dates featured collaborative live performances with preeminent Award-winning Hip-Hop band The Roots, the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip.

LL hosted the GRAMMY® Awards for an unprecedented five years in a row from 2012-2016, for which he earned rave reviews. In addition, he hosted and produced the GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live Special for seven years and has also been a presenter at the Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG Awards. Most recently, at the end of 2023, LL helped produce CBS’ live concert special A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

LL has always been an avid philanthropist involved in numerous causes, including literacy for kids as well as music and arts programs in schools. Founded in 2005, LL’s charity “Jump & Ball” – which takes place every August in his hometown of Queens, New York – aims to give back to his local community by offering an athletic and team building program dedicated to bringing wholesome fun to young people.

Between being a musician, actor, philanthropist and entrepreneur, LL COOL J is the ultimate multi-hyphenate whose career continues to expand and where he remains one of the most beloved and innovative brands in entertainment. He currently resides in both New York and Los Angeles.

Fragility, modesty, delicacy... Frànçois’ voice evokes illustrious contemporaries, from Devendra Banhart to Vincent Gallo, whose vocal inflections sometimes echo behind the uniquely French timbre.

Artists like Malik Djoudi with his captivating pop, in-demand jazzman Thomas de Pourquery, and British folk artist Rozi Plain all lend their talents to Âge Fleuve. These three delightful collaborations blend seamlessly into the album’s 10 tracks. But the album’s fluidity is also felt in the flavor of certain compositions, like the upbeat “Où mène la nuit,” a kind of mystical inquiry into the whirlwinds of youth. Then there’s “Aïeul inconnu”, whose apparent melancholy pairs perfectly with its elegant groove. “Adorer”, the duet with Thomas de Pourquery, is an uplifting track that jumps wholeheartedly into the joy of living in the “present moment”.

Âge Fleuve—or rather, a “liquid inspiration”— is built on a heritage of memory. And when one delves into the mystery of this heritage, the answer becomes clear: “We’re here, under this part of the river, further downstream. Everything communicates, everything is in motion.” In other words, an album flowing through the river of our sensory, intimate, and universal heritage.

2025 marks the vinyl release of Changes 2, the pioneering album by legendary vocalist, keys player and composer Mike Lindup.

A remarkably engaging body of work with wide ranging elements, Changes 2 plots a course through upfront soul, deep funk, jazz riffs and disco vibes, tied together with the melodic magic and engaging vocals for which Mike Lindup is widely known.

As an internationally renowned musician with decades of achievements and accolades, Mike Lindup's outstanding career has taken him on a unique journey. With the band Level 42, he consolidated a place in music history with some of the greatest hits of the era, gaining a dedicated fanbase that see the band still touring to this day. As a soloist, the first Changes album and a notable release on Naim records, as well as his work with UK/Brazilian outfit Da Lata, have all allowed further development of a burgeoning creativity, now ultimately culminating in Changes 2 - an enthralling representation of where Mike Lindup is today.

Changes 2 features various excellent guest artists that demonstrate the diverse nature of the album, including the stellar vocals of Omar and Tony Momrelle, bass magic from Yolanda Charles and even an appearance from the comedian and impressionist Jon Culshaw! The album has also inspired two funk- fuelled dance remixes from Dave Lee and the inimitable Louis Vega. All of these talented individuals enhance the project greatly, making valuable contributions to Mike Lindup's distinguished work.

Speaking about the album, Mike Lindup says: "Changes - so many since I began recording this album, and as the saying goes, the one thing you can be sure of in this life. During the four years of making this album I've been reflecting on the world as I see it, the actors and actions on this grand stage of life, love, death, prejudice, politics, separation, longing, hopes and dreams. Musically, many of the seeds of these songs took hold a while ago and wouldn't let go, but to be fulfilled they needed input and inspiration from my producers Toni and Mike, and the talents of the singers and musicians that are featured within. My wish is that some of these themes will resonate with you."

With Gilles Peterson, undoubtedly one of the UK's most influential DJ's and tastemakers describing Mike Lindup as "one of his all-time favourite vocalists" and high praise from many other leading music broadcasters and writers, Changes 2 destined to be enjoyed by a multitude of discerning music and vinyl lovers the world over.

Leah Chisholm, die als LP Giobbi bekannte Künstlerin, ist eine der interessantesten und wichtigsten Produzenten und DJs der Welt. Sie ist eine im Jazz ausgebildete Pianistin, die sich von der Welt der Jazzmusik inspirieren lässt und es vorzieht, die oft komplizierten und vorprogrammierten Strukturen der elektronischen Musik zugunsten einer spontanen Live-Zusammenarbeit zu vermeiden. Heute kündigt sie ihr zweites Album Dotr an, das am 18. Oktober auf dem Ninja Tune Imprint Counter Records erscheinen wird.
Dotr ist der mit Spannung erwartete Nachfolger von Light Places, dem Album, das ihr den Titel DJ Mag's Best Producer of 2023 einbrachte und sie unter NPR's Favorite New Musicians of 2023, Spotify RADAR's Artists to Watch, Amazon's Artists to Watch und TIDAL's Artists to Watch 2023 platzierte. Mit 3 Millionen monatlichen Hörern auf Spotify und mehr als 340 Millionen Streams auf allen Plattformen hat LP Giobbi große Festivalbühnen geziert - Coachella, Tomorrowland, Electric Forest, Lollapalooza, sowie Auftritte bei Kappa Futur, Arc Music Festival, Lost Village und Portola, die für dieses Jahr geplant sind - und überfüllte Clubfloors, während sie mit Künstlern wie Mochakk, DJ Tennis, John Summit, Diplo, Dead & Co, Black Coffee und ihrem häufigen Kollaborateur Sofi Tukker tourte. In Dotr sind für LP Giobbi echte, unverfälschte Erinnerungen eingestreut: eine letzte Geburtstags-Voicemail von Patricia Lynn und die Aufnahme eines ihrer letzten Gespräche mit Carolyn Horn. Doch obwohl das Album aus der Trauer geboren wurde, ist es im Großen und Ganzen ein fröhliches Projekt, das die Traurigkeit durch die überschwängliche Offenbarung dessen, was es bedeutet zu leben, überwindet. "Is This Love" ist eine wunderbare Kino-Disco, Carolyn" fühlt sich an wie eine Ode an die Chancen, die man einfach so ergreift. Es gibt Lieder über Liebe und Versöhnung, Hymnen über Trauer und Glauben und Hymnen über Angst und Ekstase - keine Emotion ist vollständig ohne ihr gleichwertiges Gegenteil.

Mr. K returns to the fertile ground of the Paradise Garage for his latest with two certified floor-fillers closely tied to the legendary club.

TW Funkmasters’ “Love Money” took an unusual path to its eventual elevated status as a dance classic. The brainchild of UK radio reggae jock Tony Williams (the “TW” in the group’s name), it was conceived in response to seminal rap release “Rapper’s Delight,” but with reggae superstar Dennis Brown’s 1978 hit single “Money In My Pocket” as the lyrical inspiration. Indeed, the vocal version of the Funkmasters’ song is considered the UK’s very first homegrown rap tune. But it was the flip side that garnered the most attention in New York however. “The original track was quirky and worked at the Garage,” Danny Krivit says, “but when the dub came out, it really blew up everywhere. After that very few people played the vocal.” Krivit’s edit here takes the influential, futuristic dub and tightens the arrangement up for the 7-inch format. “Love Money” went on to heavily influence the New York City dance underground, with homages coming in the form of subtle tributes (Mateo & Matos’ “Love Style”) to a virtual remake from Larry Levan himself (Man Friday’s “Love Honey, Love Heartache”) to the untold records that have sampled or been influenced by the spacey, heavy groove.

We’re back closer to home and a more traditional source for Garage classics with our flip side, Janice McClain’s “Smack Dab In The Middle.” The Philadelphia born and bred singer burst out of the gate with this very Philly sounding single in 1979. Written and produced by her uncle, the song was recorded when McClain was all of fifteen years old, a fact made more astonishing by a commanding vocal performance that resonated immediately with listeners. Recognizing a good thing when he saw it, disco maven Ray Caviano picked the song up for his newly minted RFC label and enlisted Larry Levan himself to mix it for 12-inch release. It is Levan’s version that provides the jumping off point for Krivit’s edit here — “the original 7-inch version the way it was never seemed worth playing,” Krivit says — and he makes the most of the jazzy Philly disco groove, injecting extra energy in the early minutes of the song with a tasty filtered break unique to this mix.

Pressed and mastered with DJs in mind, this loud and crystal clear single is the perfect combination of bonafide Garage classics and the talents of Mr. K, all on one compact piece of vinyl.

Moar & DJ Vince are "The Beatmatics"
After a very nice 1st volume on tape only, the beatmaking duet is back with a new volume feat beats jazzy & deep, 90s remixes, samples tools and scratch tool!
For sure put it on the turntable and feel the boom bap vibe with their vintage samplers collection !

"CQQL Records is a “sequel” to the timeless production ethos of the 80s and 90s: a time when labels truly invested in production, artist development, and put out releases that still influence today’s generation of producers, djs, dancers, and collectors. We’re continuing the story of boogie, AOR, funk, house, soul, r&b, and more, and further developing the themes we feel are classic and need to live on while making sure that each project fits its own lane and style. We’re fond of analog sounds and gear, releases produced on physical media, and paying homage to djs, collectors, and the musicians themselves: an homage but never a replication."

Introducing "Stop 2 Quit," a captivating new deep, jazzy, and lo-fi house music 12" compilation EP that delves into the art of sonic escape amidst the overwhelming noise of modern life. Featuring a hard-hitting lineup of producers — Darone Sassounian, Jamma D, and Jarren representing Los Angeles, Roche in Portland, and Morris Mobley in Nancy, France — each track serves as a remedy to the relentless barrage of messages and distractions that flood our minds.

Von Dave Brubeck bis Herbie Hancock oder Miles Davies, 20 der besten Jazz-Tracks, die jemals aufgenommen wurden!!

Sometimes a record drops and you just know it's going to be hot. This is one of those records, an essential 7" from Bloom and Japanese talent DJ Koco aka Shimokita, who has been spinning 45s since 2011 and can juggle beats like Messi can juggle a ball. He is a favourite with the likes of Gilles Peterson and is likely to win many new fans with this one. 'World Famous (feat 45Trio)' is a gloriously jazzy, soulful sound with funk drum breaks and warm, organic percussive tumbling next to natty chords and a killer bassline. Add in the equally irresistible 'Re Create #01' on the flip and you have a sure-fire future classic, so do not sleep.

Der britische Gitarrist/Produzent Phil Dawson lernte sein Handwerk bei Legenden wie Hugh Masekela, Tony Allen, Mulatu Astatke oder DJ Osibisa.

Auf "Don't Waste Your Ancestors' Time" kreiert er eine Fusion aus afro- und afro-brasilianischen Grooves, hochkarätiger Improvisation und Dub und wartet dabei mit etlichen Kollaborateuren auf, die die Musik in neue Richtungen treiben, darunter Spoken-Word-Künstlerin Khadijatou Doyneh (Heliocentrics), Saxophonist Tony Kofi (Abdullah Ibrahim, Jazz Jamaica, Cymande,), Pianist Sam Leak (Aquarium) und Afrobeat-Meister Dele Sosimi, der in Kontexten singt, in denen man ihn noch nie gehört hat. Der Albumtitel paraphrasiert den Romanautor Wole Soyinka in einer Bitte an alle, nicht wegzuwerfen, wofür ihre Vorfahren gekämpft haben – sei es durch die Missachtung des spirituellen Erbes, durch das Zulassen, dass wir gespalten und erobert werden, oder durch das Wegschauen gegenüber zeitgenössischen Ungerechtigkeiten.

KOREA, SEOUL-based DJ/PRODUCER CHIMAN is known for releasing many DEEP HOUSE tracks in the past and for his remixes with foreign artists. This track, which was recently produced under the in­uence of ORGANIC BAND SOUNDS and JAZZ, is his experiment showing a different approach, texture, and new attempt than his previous tracks. Chill and warm sound recorded as the 6th series of SAMBO RECORDS!

'Floating' by Monika Linges should be repressed due to its enduring popularity and influence in the jazz fusion genre. Original copies are rare and highly sought after by collectors, with the only repress coming in 1992 and now selling between £30 and £60. The repress aims to make this classic album accessible to new audiences and satisfy the demand from djs who have had this in their wants list for a long time. Repackaging the album in a limited lilac vinyl, with liner notes written by German DJ and tastemaker Rainer Trueby

Born in Australia and moving to the UK in her early 30s, Peggy O’Keefe became the resident pianist at the Chevalier Casino in Glasgow in 1962. Initially the residency was for six months, which then turned into six years. It was at this point she recorded her 'Mood Chevalier' LP in 1966, a collection of the band’s favourites but the gold is found in her version of 'Cubano Chant', made famous by Art Blakey and then played across jazz dances ever since.

Peggy’s playing was admired by Cleo Laine and Oscar Peterson, and once had a brief, impromptu duet with Frank Sinatra, Peggy and her band showed their true talent with these two versions of jazz favourites.

Hiding in the shadows for nearly 60 years, Now PANORAMA unearth this gem in their trademark 7 inch format, from a Glaswegian restaurant to a dancefloor near you.

PANORAMA Records is an emerging new label based in London, dedicated to rediscovering and showcasing musical gems with a fresh approach. With early support from notable DJs such as Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge, Rainer Trueby, Mr Bongo DJs and Zag Erlat from My Analog Journal. Their unique take on Jazz and Funk from the further afield has shown they will become trailblazers in the reissue game for a long time.

This Is DJs Choice Vol. 4 brings you a great selection of Funk, Soul, Latin and Hip Hop.

Five years after the last installment of the series, Volume 4 is compiled by Gu, a long-time friend and DJ partner of Unique label founder Henry Storch, and the tracks represent the two decades they have known each other and played records together, as well as the music they enjoyed.

All choices are originally 7 Inch records from Gu's crates put together like a DJ-Set for you to enjoy: The Soul of The Sweet Vandals and Carlton Jumel Smith, the Deep Funk of Naomi Davis & The Knights Of Forty First Street, The Supersonics and Sharon Jackson & The Soul Destroyers, the Latin sounds of Diesler and Eli Goulart E Banda Do Mato and the Hip Hop grooves of Jay Are (aka J.Rawls and John Robinson), The Bamboos featuring Ohmega Watts and Daddy-O of Stetsasonic.

This compilation is a celebration of music from beginning to end.

About This Is DJs Choice:

The series started as a friendship project by Henry Storch, who wanted to immortalise friends and allies from the DJ scene, who picked vinyl as their format of choice. The genre didn't matter, as long as the vibe was right. In 2008 Vol. 1 featured a selection of organic Club Sounds and Break Beats put together by Soulinus & Pun, followed by Keb Darge & Lucinda Slim and their favorite Rhythm & Blues, Rockabilly and 60s Soul tunes on Vol. 2 in 2009. In 2019 Les Intouchables aka Marc Hype and DJ Suspect presented a variety of funky and soulful music with an addition of the occasional Boogie, Reggae and Hip Hop track.

About Gu:

Gu is a DJ, musician, label owner, producer, writer and producer from Northern Germany. His dedication to music started in his pre-teens in the late eighties and he is playing vinyl ever since. Over the years he has worked with a number of his favorite DJs and artists like Keb Darge, Andy Smith, Snowboy, The New Mastersounds, Osaka Monaurail, The Sweet Vandals, The Allergies, Andy Cooper of Ugly Duckling, Daddy-O of Stetsasonic and Chuck D of Public Enemy to name a few. His DJ career took him all over Europe again and again.

In 2005 he started Our Label Records with his brother Tom to release new Funk music on 7 Inch vinyl and added the Hip Hop 45 imprint Origu in 2015. Since 2009 and he is on air every week with his radioshow Home Diggin', which was also picked up by Chuck D's Rapstation in 2019. Additionally he is lead singer/rapper for the Songcore duo Sorry We're Closed and the Hip Hop outfit Alder Ego. He also does readings of his book of one-liners and competing on Slam Poetry stages.

The latest instalment from Acid Jazz’s Albarika Store series, ‘Afro Funk’ compiles the very best of the legendary T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo’s funk cuts.

Formed in 1968 by leader Clément Mélomé, T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo became the leading group in Benin and the cornerstone of the Albarika Store label and legacy.

First vinyl reissue since its original release in 1980! Track A2 - Cloudy is featured in WAMONO A to Z Vol. I - Japanese Jazz Funk & Rare Groove 1968-1980 (Selected by DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite & Chintam) compilation. A rich groove crafted by a rhythm section featuring Harvey Mason on drums and eight trombones. This Jazz Funk/Fusion album is a mix of original compositions by Chikara Ueda and covers of Boz Scaggs' tracks.

Sourcing rare records to reissue can involve meticulous research and years of digging, but then occasionally, Lady Luck smiles upon you. We probably would have never heard of the Medium Wave Band if Gary from Mr Bongo hadn't known Wolverhampton-based record dealer, Steve Ward. Whilst offering Gary some records for sale, he remembered he had a spare copy of an old 7" single that he thought Gary might like. Steve didn't know much about the release, and it had never sold on Discogs. Looking at the record itself, it was minimalist in appearance and information, there wasn't much to go on other than that it was from the Birmingham area. The mystery drew us in…

The A-side, 'So Tender’, is a late-night, jazzy slow-jam, with beautifully sultry, soulful female vocals which sounded vaguely familiar. On listening to the B side, 'Games (Instrumental)’, you are rewarded with a superb example of Britfunk / independent UK jazz-funk. The pulsating, bass-led dancefloor groove and sensibility is a sound reminiscent of productions usually found on labels such as Elite, but the 7” was not released on a label, it was a private press by the band themselves. So who are the enigmatic The Medium Wave Band?

After some fruitful internet digging and correspondence, we got the answers. The band lineup featured Elliot Browne on guitar (lead & rhythm), Ron Lyseight on guitar (rhythm), Andrew Proverbs on keyboards, Tony Peart on drums, Paul Snook on bass, Linton Levy on saxophone, and surprisingly, the beautiful vocals we had been enjoying were those of Jackie Graham, aka the hugely successful UK vocalist, Jaki Graham. Maybe best known for her pop hit with David Grant, 'Could It Be I'm Falling In Love', but also featuring on the cult classic track 'Fire In My Heart' by Escape From New York.

Influenced by artists and bands including George Benson, Ronnie Laws, Weather Report, George Duke, Azimuth and Chick Corea to name a few, the guys booked into a studio near the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and recorded the two tracks that make up this 7”. Only 200 copies of the original 7" were ever pressed and were sold mostly in Birmingham at Summit Records by the band’s friend DJ Frenchi, as well as at live shows. Despite its limited distribution channels, the record received solid support from fans and those in the music industry, including Morgan Khan of the influential record label, Street Sounds. DJ and journalist, Lindsay Wesker, reviewed the release and this led to the band travelling to London for several radio interviews. They played live shows across the country, including at the prestigious Ronnie Scott's in London, and supported both Shakatak and Weapon of Peace in Birmingham.

Thanks to all those involved bringing this release into fruition and for solving the mystery behind a wonderful Britfunk and UK soul record that could have otherwise been lost in the mists of time.

Recorded in the 1980's and snapped up upon arrival in Europe by the Soho Boho's, Acid Jazzuals,Cuboppers, Jazz Massivists and Mojo Jazzmuziker, "Le-Le" by The Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble is a unique one off Spiritual Soul-Jazz outing with Avant Garde touches and more than a hint of Afro-Cuban Orientalism.

The percussion drenched title track has that special Worldwide Sound and the Cool Jazz Get Down Groove of "Wet Walnuts and Whipped Cream" is a DJ's delight, whether played over the Airwaves or to a crowded Dancefloor.

An adventurous jazz outfit that has been playing around Philadelphia since its formation in 1979. The Ensemble was founded by Warren Oree, an acoustic bassist, producer and composer who continues to lead the band. Eclectic and far from predictable, on this album the Ensemble has embraced a variety of acoustic and electric jazz styles combining them with African and Middle Eastern influences and mixed together with the "New Thing" have managed to make a timeless underground classic.

Bienvenue Recordings is back on wax with two originals and a deep driving remix from the home base. We are delighted to present Gratts ‘The Lifestyle EP’ via the label, a high quality addition to his plentiful repertoire of dance delights.

Gene Tellem met Gratts in the South Australian city of Adelaide in 2022 while visiting family and touring the country for some gigs. Gratts, originally from Belgium, also finds himself in the sun for similar reasons. Being from two different French speaking parts of the world, able to communicate in a familiar way but in a whole new place really laid down the vibe for this release. Songs as much for the radio as the club, for a cold wintry night or on the shores of an Australian sunset.

'Sunsets (FBI Mix)' is Gratts & Biancolato's tribute to Sydney veteran DJ Simon Caldwell's long running 'Sunsets' radio show on FBI Radio. Gratts and Caldwell DJ'ed together in Sydney on various occasions, whereas Biancolato is a veteran Melbourne DJ and producer. The track was inspired by the dubby West-Coast deep house sound from the turn of the millennium. Adelaide's Lesley Williams provides the vocal mantra.

'Sundays With U (Neapolitan Mix)' is a jazzy and percussive venture, loosely inspired by the West London bruk sound and Charles Webster. Andreas Poppelbaum, Gratts' studio neighbour in Berlin can be heard on soprano sax. The lyrics are performed by Italian friend Ambra, who delivers them in the Neapolitan dialect.

'Sundays With U (GT Remix)’ is Gene Tellem pulling at all the elements that make the original a scorcher, stretching it out, turning the stomp up, and offering a version for a deep dance floor moment. The voice, sax, atmosphere with the snap on the one. One moment it starts, and soon you won’t know how long it’s been that your eyes are closed, body moving through the room.

“Get Me In the Zone EP” is Waajeed’s final release on his Detroit-based label DIRT TECH RECK for 2024. He shared some of his inspiration for this dynamic four-track offering.

"Get Me In the Zone" is a soulful, rhythmic track blending Waajeed's production with Miles Bonny's repetitious vocals and trumpet, using hypnotic rhythms to create an uplifting, jazzy banger.

"All the Way Thru" produced by Waajeed, intricately weaves samples into a seamless blend of funk, soul, and house, creating an irresistible anthem for dancers and DJs. "I sat on this track for some time, unsure if it would fit into this EP, but ultimately decided to include it because of its undeniable effect on the dance floor.”

Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun in our solar system. It remains one of the least explored planets. Waajeed says, “I’m always reaching toward unknown territories in my creative adventures, so I called this one 'Neptune’s Symphony' to celebrate those exploring new sonic landscapes."

“I picked up this term from Dam Funk during a long drive in his '84 Regal. He explained "Dry Hatin" is a way of indirectly showing negativity, resentment, or jealousy towards someone or something. I wanted to address my naivety about entering the dance music scene several years ago—I thought it would be different

Modeight presents a captivating 4 tracker from the talented DJ and producer Valeria Croft, based in Helsinki. With a unique blend of jazz elements, house, and minimalism, Valeria effortlessly bridges these genres and brings them to the dance culture.

The EP opens with Kaksi, a low slung, slow burning groove that glides with effortless grace, featuring meandering atmospheric tones that induce a positively out of body feeling. Next is Mad Mood, a rhythmically fluid roller, peppered with a cyclical hypnotic sequence and shimmering vocals.

Pretty Inspiration showcases a deep, sub sonic wiggle, carving out a sophisticated and immensely enjoyable sonic journey. The EP wraps up with Viisi, a track that concludes with a graceful afterhours groove.
In this emphatic release, Valeria Croft brings the heat, making it a perfect fit for Modeight.

All the music in the world is at your fingertips, and it's up to you to set the vibe_ So, what should we listen to? If you're having trouble deciding, turn on the radio. It's the perfect place to discover something new, or jam along to a tried-and-true station that'll never let you down.Tune In is due out 11/1/2024 via Chiefdom Records. The second of three installments in the Terrestrial Radio series, it's a carefully curated collection of instrumental fusion, designed to serve as the perfect radio mix for fans of jazz, hip hop, funk, soul, reggae and beyond. It's the latest release from Cincinnati based executive producer Doctor Bionic (Jason Grimez). As a DJ, producer, and former member of 90s rap group MOOD, Grimez' musical career revolves around hip hop. He's always preferred to sample songs from the late 60s and early 70s because of the authentic tone. "Growing up collecting and sampling records was an education, whether we realized it or not," he explained. Grimez records and produces music using analog gear to emulate the instrumentals that he's always loved as he works with some of the best musicians in the Cincinnati area to bring his ideas to life. Among others, Jonathan Luck Spaulding and Josh "Mojo" Cole made several appearances on guitar throughout the record. Every Doctor Bionic release is accompanied by a unique, thought-provoking album cover. For Tune In, Grimez worked with Refael Idan Suissa, a painter and digital artist based in Israel.Next time you're looking for some new instrumental tunes to set the tone, you can count on the growing catalog from Doctor Bionic. Tune In is available everywhere on 11/1/24.

Jazz Funk duo Zaimie is poised to take the music scene by storm with the release of two highly anticipated remixes. The fresh reimaginings of Zaimie's hit tracks—“Smash N Grab,” remixed by the talented Bluey of Incognito, and “Wildfire,” remixed by the acclaimed DJ and Producer Al Kent—are set to captivate audiences and keep dance floors alive.
“Smash N Grab,” known for its infectious beat and vibrant horns, receives a brilliant touch from Bluey, infusing the remix with groovy melodies, soulful undertones and a thumping bassline that are sure to make it a standout track of the season. Meanwhile, Al Kent’s remix of “Wildfire” enhances the song's already captivating essence, transforming it into a disco-infused anthem that encourages listeners to let loose and revel in the moment.
These exclusive remixes will be released on a limited AA side VINYL ONLY run through Splash Music Productions, making them a must-have for collectors and enthusiasts alike. Each track showcases Zaimie's artistry and innovation, promising to bring a fresh dose of excitement to their discography.

Warehouse Find!

Vega Records are proud to present the re-release of EOL Extensions by Elements Of Life, the second album from Louie Vega’s critically acclaimed live orchestral project. With an allstar cast of remixers the lineup is a who’s who of worldwide talent. On the repertoire are Jazzy Jeff, Kenny Dope, Dj Spinna, Joe Claussell, House of Rumba, & Dj Gregory, along with EOL Alumni lead vocalists Josh Milan, Anané & Raul Midon. The Vinyl release is in two parts, two double packs, get it on your turntable, close your eyes and listen to the cosmic sounds of EOL. The new tracks “Messin’ About”, “Our People”, and the unreleased mix of “Love Is On The Way” are ones not to be missed.

The first vinyl release by the Melbourne Soul / Funk trailblazers The Bamboos in over a year since their 'This Is How You Do It' album and UK / EU tour (which included two sold out nights at London's iconic Jazz Café) is something that guitarist / bandleader Lance Ferguson has wanted to do for many years: a Christmas EP!

This limited edition 7" comes in custom printed knitted Christmas sleeve that will rival even the most garish seasonal woollen jumper.

A side "Wrapt In A Beau" is classic Sweet Soul Bamboos style, recalling fan favourites such as "I Don't Wanna Stop" and "Golden Ticket", with a perfect vocal by The Antipodean Queen Of Soul, Kylie Auldist.

On the flip is the string drenched Funk instrumental "The Bells Of Holly Hill", which kicks off with a crisp breakbeat plus sleigh bells intro.

Paid promo service to Soul / Funk DJs w/wide for radio, club and online incl presenters on key radio stations such as BBC6, FIP France, KCRW.

LANCE FERGUSON "I'm never going to make an Xmas track without putting some sleigh bells in the mix, and you should see some of my yuletide knitwear...but for everyone who celebrates Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere it's something that falls right in the middle of Summer, flying in the face of much of that iconic festive imagery.

With these songs we thought we'd lean into some of those unique things that make a sun-drenched, snow-less festive season special."

Previous Bamboos seven inch pressings sold out straight away, so don't sleep on this.