Suche:e wan

As a musical act, Xeno & Oaklander (Sean McBride and Liz Wendelbo) conflate a rich love of analog synths, melody, and mythology with eloquent nuance and a nod to the heritage they draw from. While that construct is the duo's immediate kiss and crush, there's a deeper importance to their collaboration which began in 2004. As evidenced in their debut Vigils (2004), McBride and Wendelbo's artistic dynamic is more than just a mutual love for electronics but a contrast between architectural precision and painterly expression. From the film scores to the traditional albums they've recorded in their Brooklyn studio, they've both spurred and fostered the global synth wave revival through a commitment to analog-only production and performance as well as a strident respect for the medium.

On their latest album Hypnos and first for the Dais imprint, the duo leveraged the talents of visual artist and live sound engineer Egan Frantz to mix the album. It's a touch that adds both punch and balance, allowing their inherent conceptual voices to converge into a collage with defined edges and warm, synapses of frequency and beat.

'Musically, Hypnos is a return to polyphony after several years of using strictly monophonic synthesizers,' McBride says about the album's ethos. 'This has brought dense harmonies and a more complex counterpoint to the composition. Staying with the same equipment and processes without the inveterate compulsion to update and refashion allows for a clearly perceivable genealogy with our previous work.'

'I felt the desire to tell mythical stories, I also wanted my voice to sit strongly in the mix,' Wendelbo explains. 'I channeled the spirits of 60s French Pop chanteuse Françoise Hardy and 80s New Wave New York icon Tina Weymouth.' Her intentions are best evidenced on the tracks 'Angelique,'and 'Insomnia,' the former a spry track sung in French, against a springy rhythm. Laden with expanding and contrasting frequency and a penchant for strategic rhythm, Hypnos juxtaposes dance with distance, creating an immersive oeuvre that exudes contrast and control.









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The sensitive mountain » (la montagne sensible) is the nickname Alain Bashung came up with for Arnaud Rebotini. At the height of his fame, after the success of Fantaisie Militaire in 1998, Bashung readily agreed to create an album with Rebotini. The two men didn’t know each other; their record label had introduced them. Bashung brought in “Mortel Battement” and “Nocturne,” two poems by Jean Tardieu, which he recited in a voice simultaneously warm and flat, and Arnaud produced an impressionist soundscape that ended with an apocalypse of metal. Bashung was so proud of their collaboration that he offered to give several interviews to promote the record. Today, listening back to this moving Léo Ferré influenced "talking singing" exercise, it’s hard not to hear the template for L'Imprudence, the album that Bashung went on to record with Rebotini two years later. In a similar way, the album Organique sparked a productive partnership between Rebotini and filmmaker Robin Campillo, which resulted in their being awarded a César for Best Original Music in 2018. The director, who trusted Rebotini to create the soundtracks for his films Eastern Boys and 120 Beats per Minute, never kept his love for the 2000 record a secret.

Yet it’s an understatement to say that when it was released, Organique was not in the spirit of times. That year was all about the French touch. The funky samples of Modjo’s “Lady” and Superfunk’s “Lucky Star” ruled the sweaty dancefloors. Although Rebotini was familiar with the electronic scene, he had something else in mind when he set about creating Organique. Under his own name or under the pseudonyms Aleph, Avalanche, Black Strobe, Maison Laffitte, and of course Zend Avesta, he had already released several quite bizarre and experimental techno, house, or jungle maxi singles on pioneering labels like P.O.F., Source, and Artefact, run by his friend Jérôme Mestre’s, whom he had met back when both were working as record salesmen at Rough Trade’s ephemeral Parisian store. It was at Artefact, still financed at the time by Barclay and Universal, that he naturally proposed this record project, which was a bit "different." It was his first real album.

Arnaud Rebotini has never hidden his love-hate relationship with the electronic scene. He’s a fan of rave music, Rex, and later Pulp, but he listens mostly to metal and contemporary music, mainly American minimalists such as Terry Riley, Philip Glass, Steve Reich. He wanted to mix this genre with a more French aesthetic inspired by Debussy, whose unconventionality fascinates him. From the first suspended guitar note of Organique, you can pick up another influence, possibly poppier. In the style of Mark Hollis, the erratic leader of Talk Talk, whose only solo album’s silences and dissonances left their mark two years earlier, we hear the fingers touching the keys of the clarinet on “Ondine.” The instruments have presence, character. Nothing is smooth. Everything is organic.

Although it’s sometimes labeled as electronica because of Rebotini’s career, there’s nothing digital about Organique. No "pro tools" editing or samples, only programmed drums and some synth layering. And his guest vocalists. Playing the role of electro producer, he invited Bashung, of course, to join him on the album, but also Roya Arab, who Rebotini first spotted while she was playing in Archive, and her sister Leila, Gus Gus alum Hafdis Huld, Kat Onoma’s Philippe Poirier on the “Samuel Hall” inspired track “Qu’est ce qui m’a pris,” and former KaS Product member Mona Soyoc.

The frustration of a tour where he had "little to do on stage," the desire to sing himself, and the creation of the Black Strobe project, a haunting mix of blues and rock, stopped Zend Avesta from putting out another album. Eighteen years later, the Organique we rediscover today has lost nothing of its strangeness, nor beauty. When it came out, Bashung said, "What is interesting for a musician is to feel that you have a piece of wasteland in front of you, something to clear.” That remains true today.

The first Redskins re-issue for many years, this is a 4-track celebration of their 1985 Top 40 hit, 'Bring It Down! (This Insane Thing!)'. Featuring their distinctive hybrid of rock and soul complete with their signature brass section and their unmistakeable 'call to arms' socialist sensibility.

In 2019, the World is shaking... our man Too Smooth Christ, prolific & sensitive composer invite to expand your body and mind beyond with its new release Emogreen Thoughts EP. Bringing you a good dose of Acid on one side, featuring two bangers flirting generously with Chicago House vibes and Detroit Electro gems, keeping the floor filled and your senses in orbit on the other side with two trippy, cosmic ambient sound scapes, perfect for creative excursions. The FUEGO 004 will come in a limited number of 300 copies, watch out!

Second Lp From French Electronic Talent Thylacine
Regardless Of Whether Or Not The Thylacine, A Species Of Marsupial With A Tiger-striped Back, Still Lives
In Tasmania Or Not, It Is In Argentina That This Young Star Of The French Electro Scene Decided To
Record His Second Album. To Create A Follow Up To Transsiberian, His Brilliant First Album That He
Recorded In 2015 Aboard The Train That Links Moscow To Vladivostok, William Rezé, Aka Thylacine,
Bought A 1972 Trailer, One Of The Famous All-aluminum Airstreams.
After Painstakingly Transforming The Trailer Into A Recording Studio, He Put His Beautiful American On
A Freighter Across The Atlantic And Got It Back A Month Later In Buenos Aires.
He Was Drawn To South America By The Pull Of The Unknown, The Absolute Absence Of Reference. He
Wanted To Immerse Himself In Desert And Lunar Landscapes, Explore Multicolored Canyons, Sand
Dunes, Giant Cacti Forests, Snow-capped Peaks... And Write, Alone, In The Intimacy Of His Nomadic
Studio.
After Making Stops In The Middle Of Nowhere, He Returned With Ten Tracks That Marvelously Combine
Moderat's Aerial Melodies, The Solar Touch Of Nicola Cruz, And The Techno Power Of Paul Kalkbrenner.
His Electronica Is Often Laden With Saxophonehis Instrument Of Choice, Which He Started Playing At
The Age Of 6 At A Conservatoryand Features Vocals From Julia Minkin (of Kid Francescoli), Clara
Trucco (a Member Of The Trio Femina), And Juana Molina, "considered The Argentinian Björk," Says
Thylacine.
Mission Accomplished: The Young Angevin's Vaporous Layers Are Tinged With Charango, A Local
Instrument, And Melodies Inspired By Traditional Argentinian Songs. "i Wanted To Go Back To A Music
With A More Acoustic Sound."
And The Tracks Follow One Another, Telling The Story Of His Extraordinary Odyssey: The Hypnotizing the
Road Expresses The Miles Of Road Traveled; The Captivating Tale Of santa Barbara Evokes The Close
Ties Between Inhabitants Of A Tiny Village In The Andes; And The Rhythm Of 4500 M, Cut By The Flow Of
The American Rapper J. Medeiros, Recalls The High Desert Where Thylacine Once Had To Sleep, Forced To
Stop For The Night By Storms Of A Rare Intensity.
Three Months And Ten Thousand Kilometers Later, This "concept Album" Is Ready; It's Called Roads Vol.
1, And Its The First Installment Of A Collection That The 26-year-old Thylacine Expects To Add To As He
Continues His Travels. His Itinerant Studio, Ingeniously Equipped With Solar Panels, Will Take Him,
Hopefully, Very Far.

A cat may have nine lives, but Peter Cat Recording Co. has a multitude of dimensions. Formed in New Delhi around 2010 by the crooner Suryakant Sawhney, it's a group that's mutated over time, shedding members and accruing more, always evolving musically with each album: from gypsy jazz to psychedelic cabaret; ballroom waltzes to epic space disco; bossa supernova to uneasy listening. What's more they play jajj, which you've almost certainly never heard of. 
'Gypsy jazz is the description we used around the time of our first album Cinema that we sound nothing like now,' says Sawhney, before adding: 'At the time I was really into Strauss.' 

Portrait of a Time 2010 - 2016 is the first taste many Europeans will have of this highly original, musically capricious and deeply inscrutable New Delhi four-piece. The compilation helps you get to know a band who are essentially unknowable, not that that will stop you from trying. Furthermore, in a capital city known for its mystery, madness and mayhem, Peter Cat Recording Co. is something of ananomaly there too. 

While Suryakant's crooning is spookily reminiscent of a hipster 50's Sinatra, it was more his intention to ape legendary Bollywood playback singers like Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi and especially Hemant Kumar. There are diverse American influences in the mix too, including Sam Cooke, Etta James and even Tom Waits, and time spent in San Francisco studying film may have contributed to the cinematic melange. Thrown together it becomes something unique that equates less to a listening experience and more to an out-of-body experience. 

They were signed to new French record company Panache after label boss Alexandre Rabia was trawling through YouTube one day and happened upon their remarkable promo for 'Love Demons'. It's a mind-blowing eight minute epic featuring the desert, one camel, a movie theatre, swirly organs over coruscating beats, dancing girls, more police and a cavernous pit that then-bassist Rohan Kulshreshtha falls into. 

You can try to compartmentalize them all you want, but just when you think you've got them pegged, they will evolve and transmogrify and the description you have in your hand will slip through your fingers like sand. Who knows if Peter Cat Recording Co. has nine lives, but you can listen to a past life on Portrait of a Time, and a future incarnation - much of it recorded in Paris - will be available in the autumn. Just remember, unlike a cat, you'll never put them in a box. 

'Producer and multi-instrumentalist FRNT BZNZZ returns with the second installment in a six-part series of 45s from the Aloha State.

Just like the rst 45, the A-side 'Separation Anxiety' takes to the same raw electro boogie feel, this time with more layers. The 4-minute ride into the artist's complex, often haunting production is up before you know it.

The B-side opens new doors in the series with vocals - angsty, yearning, a little somber. 'Always Wanted' is a slow burner for those looking to alleviate heavy doses of straight-laced modern funk. Something about Aiea High School prom circa 1990s, and a feeling of being left out.'

Billie Eilish's meteoric rise to global stardom has been nothing short of phenomenal and arguably unparalleled to date. Since her 'ocean eyes' debut, Billie has quietly, yet unapologetically infiltrated the forefront of pop. Thanks to a growing legion of loyal followers across the globe, an EP that has sat in the Billboard Top 200 for more than 18 months now, on the cusp of going Gold in the UK and more than 5 billion combined streams globally, her tours have sold out consecutively around the world, and this week, the teenage marvel has confirmed she will be releasing her highly anticipated debut album 'WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO' on March 29 on Polydor.   'When we made 'bury a friend,' the whole album clicked in my head,' Billie explains. 'I immediately knew what it was going to be about, what the visuals were going to be, and everything in terms of how I wanted it to be perceived. It inspired what the album is about. 'bury a friend' is literally from the perspective of the monster under my bed. If you put yourself in that mindset, what is this creature doing or feeling' She continues. 'I also confess that I'm this monster, because I'm my own worst enemy. I might be the monster under your bed too.' 'WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO' was written, produced and recorded entirely by 17-year-old Billie Eilish and brother Finneas in their childhood home of Highland Park, Los Angeles. Recorded in Finneas' bedroom opposite Billie's, the pair spent most of 2018 writing songs on the road, then spending many days and nights when off the road, at home, recording the album. The first to be revealed since the album announcement is 'bury a friend,' a driving tour-de-force of a song, trailblazing its way into the world and sounding quite unlike anything else that's out right now. Reaffirming Billie Eilish's place, always ahead of the curve, never compromising her sound or vision.  More exciting news to come from Billie Eilish very soon. 

Dolly Dubs welcomes none other than techno royalty Dan Curtin to the label with four forward thinking cuts! In his signature, energetic idea-rich style, Curtin meanders from vibey electro to uptempo Detroit-esque euphoria, and from innovative techno to broken beat lushness. A perfect mini techno-journey!!!

It's easy to fall for a nostalgic approach to dance music, to cuddle oneself in the warm analogue sounds of late 1980's dance productions - especially with the heavy ongoing reissue trend going on. However, we have to stay focus: look out for contemporary sounds and means of production. Parisian producer Nathan Melja makes his debut on Antinote with an idiosyncratic three-tracker and our guess is that it sounds contemporary.

On the A-side: one tune: Deadrums. Both the name and the music speak for themselves. It's hard, it's efficient and at the same time, there's quite a lot going on, tiny bumps on the straightforward road to techno ecstasy. Nevertheless, Deadrums is a precise piece of machinery, an atmospheric banger, yes, but with deadly jaws made out of tempered steel to tear a dancefloor apart, piece-by-piece. On the B-side, Angels stands out as a perfect example of a song that has many dancefloor qualities but, like some of DJ Sprinkles' seminal recordings, turns out to be more of a late-night tale of urban wanderings on wet pavements (think Taxi Driver and its soundtrack by Bernard Hermann). Contemplative, melancholic and - let's say it - sad, its nagging melody can bring a little tear to the eyes of the most sensitive ones. Rounding up the 12' is Candy, a tune under the influence of bad boys like DJ Overdose, or Ghettotech legend DJ Assault - so that you can dry your tears.

It's Nathan Melja's first release on Antinote, but he's definitely not a newcomer. He's been around since Antinote exists, and we're glad to finally collaborate with him.

Krewcial Is Back On Wph After Some Seriously Funky Adventures On Marcel Vogel's Fine Lumberjacks In Hell Label. We Wanted To Finish Our 10' Series In Style And It's Safe To Say That Krewcial Provided The Goods. On The A-side 'plaster' Brings Us Raw Vocal Piano House Of The Highest Order And A Sure-fire Hands In The Air Moment On Any Discerning Dance Floor.

On The Flip 'proto' Is What Proto Says: Raw House Business For More Theo Parrish Or Ron Hardy Styled Slam Dancing Damage. Since His House Debut On Wph Krewcial Has Been Going From Strength To Strength And With This E.p. He Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down.

I cannot exactly remember when the idea of this album was born in my mind. What I am sure of is that I always wanted to complete such a project, which was to realize the dream of a vibraphone and marimba tribute to the music of my favorite musician composer, Frank Zappa. I met Marco Pacassoni about six years ago. I called him because we were looking for a vibraphonist for a tour with the artist Bungaro. We immediately developed a real friendship and when I told him about my idea and my fascination with Ruth Underwood, explaining that for me the best Zappa albums were the ones on which she played, he admitted that he knew only a part of that music, but that he would love to learn more. So I began to feed him tunes to listen to, sharing with him an imaginary track list. When Marco decided to really go for it (about two years ago), his first statement was that it was impossible not to include Peaches en Regalia and The Black Page on the album. That made me very happy because those are two of my favorites, and there was no better way to acknowledge the technical challenges behind this adventure. Marco studied Ionisation by Edgard Varese when he was in Conservatorio Rossini of Pesaro, even before he graduated in percussion at Berklee. It was strange for me that he could know more about Varese than about Zappa! I liked his idea of playing The Black Page alone at the marimba, just adding the beat, as if hearing the footsteps of an imaginary listener turning around. Who could it be My very first wish was to include Pink Napkins with Zappa's guitar solo played at the vibraphone.

Bobby Sparks II ist vielen ein Begriff. Sei es als Keyboarder bei Snarky Puppy, Marcus Miller, Prince oder Liz Wright, Bobby hat überall markante musikalische Spuren hinterlassen. Und nun ist es endlich soweit: Mit "Schizophrenia - The Yang Project" steht Bobby Sparks Debutalbum (2CD Set) zur Veröffentlichung bei LEOPARD an. Es hat gedauert, um diese außergewöhnliche Sammlung unterschiedlichster Songs zu produziern. Aber es hat sich mehr als gelohnt: zeigt sich darin doch das breite musikalische Vokabular und der schier unerschöpfliche Schaffensdrang des Keyboarders. Vom slammenden Funk bis zu langsamen, groovigen Soul-Balladen und Streifzügen in die Genres Straight-ahead-Jazz, Fusion, Orchester- und Weltmusik: das sehr passend betitelte Album "Schizophrenia - The Yang Project" vereinigt eine Vielzahl verschiedener Musikstile in sich, ohne dabei das Gesamtbild aus den Augen zu lassen. Mit an Bord auf dieser außergewöhnlichen musikalischen Reise sind eine Reihe seiner alten Freunde aus Dallas, sowie viele Stars des Genres - etwa die Bassisten Marcus Miller, Pino Palladino, MonoNeon und Hadrien Feraud, der Trompeter Roy Hargrove, die Sänger Frank McComb und James - J. Rob' Robinson, Snarky Puppys Michael League und Jason - JT' Thomas, die Gitarristen Lucky Peterson und Eric Gales sowie die Drummer Mark Simmons, Brannen Temple und John - Li'l John' Roberts.

audiobooks are pleased to share a remix bundle for their latest single, 'Friends in the Bubble Bath', out now via Heavenly Recordings. The release features two remixes by Gabe Gurnsey (Factory Floor) and one each from Welsh songstress Gwenno and audiobooks' own David Wrench. 'I love audiobooks, and 'Friends in the Bubblebath' is brilliant,' Gwenno says. 'I wanted to create a reflective atmosphere around Evangeline and David's lyrics, to try and compliment the story and that feeling of the party still trying to keep going at 3am, as parties tend to do.'

'It was a real pleasure to be asked to remix audiobooks' as I'm a big fan of theirs,' Gurnsey adds. 'I wanted to take all that energy they exude vocally and musically and bring it onto the dance floor. I ended up working on two remixes which work side by side, reflecting that chemistry David and Evangeline have in their live performances.

After a brief wander 'round the garden, Chilean-born Ricardo Tobar returns to the ESP Institute bearing earthly delights. With 2017's Liturgia, he introduced his creative point-of-view—instantly substantiating a sense of rhythm that was deliberately complex yet slightly rough around the edges, while touching upon his musical origins from the guitar-driven corners of psychedelia— however with his debut 2xLP Continuidad, he leaves us gobsmacked and seeking shelter as he leaps from dancefloor comforts and descends into absolute chaos (in more ways than one). Emotionally, the artist has crossed all previously self-imposed and subconscious thresholds, putting his true imagination on display and exposing an unwavering attraction to all things loud, orgasmic and transcendent. He's not subtly hinting at a fetish, but opening his arms wide with conviction, abandoning genre taboos and personally inviting everyone to join his enchanted caravan. Sonically, his appetite for intensity is clear throughout—epic chord changes, ascending peaks in arrangement, accumulating layers of grit that build into impenetrable blankets of distortion and feedback—a kind of aural hedonism that translates visually into the potent video abstractions our Mario Hugo has summoned for the album's packaging. This follow-up single surrounding the Continuidad album boasts the dirty little secret Bailemix of album track Recife—we wont go as far as uttering the 'T' word, but this is unbridled merciless tops-off festival gear for the massive. The flipside is another exclusive non-album cut Cuatro Meses De Verano, a rhythmic build-up that breaks into a low-slung funky stomper, Tobar's idea of a warm-up weapon.

Although Itta (Vocals, Harmonium) and Marqido (Analog Synthesizers) have been regular fixtures in Seoul's experimental music community for years, the vinyl release of Spiritual reflects the growing international recognition of their singular sound, described by The Wire as 'meditative synthesized vistas.' Spiritual certainly embodies the meditative element of their music, layering hypnotic modular synth with Indian harmonium drone and Itta's transcendental vocals. This is more than functional music for the metaphysically curious, however. Perhaps more than any of their previous releases, Spiritual offers an open accessibility, owing at least partly to the channeling of krautrock-influenced rhythms. Tracks like 'Luft' and 'Morgen Tempel' wouldn't sound out of place in any DJ set with kraut or psychedelic leanings, while 'Barabonda' and 'Dodeuri' dig deep into a more meditative place, serving as perfect expressions of the album's title and intent. Fans of Neu!, Kraftwerk, Laraaji or Klaus Schulze might find themselves in a comfortable yet unexplored place.

Spiritual was originally released in 2017 as a limited-edition cassette of 250 copies, produced in collaboration with Seendosi, an arts enterprise in Seoul Euljiro district, the city's heart of printing, packaging and electronics manufacturing. The cassette sold out within a year of its production, prompting Extra Noir, who had previously released Tengger's 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' on their Extra Noir Vol. 1 compilation, to propose reissuing Spiritual on vinyl. Working with Seendosi once again, the result is a beautifully produced piece of work. Closely attentive to the band's vision, the gatefold sleeve features rich landscape motifs that evoke Tengger's commitment to earthly travel and the less accessible places beyond. Pressed onto clear vinyl, the design of Spiritual has been carefully constructed to reflect the entirely unique music within: heavy ephemerality, dense transcendence and grounded wanderlust.

With a celestial voice that's been streamed over 3 million times thanks to acclaimed features with The Kite String Tangle, Golden Vessel and label mate Sampology, Brisbane-based artist Tiana Khasi (Kah-see) shares her debut EP, 'MEGHALAYA', out 29 March via Soul Has No Tempo.

The Sampology-produced debut is a rich tapestry of styles and influence, with inspiration drawing from themes of self-empowerment, family and heritage, collaborating with contemporary musicians while studying jazz. ''Meghalaya' is both geographic and spiritual. It's a place I creatively resort to seeking affirmation of my identity and for true holistic inspiration. I wanted to create a body of work that honestly showed where I was at musically and personally. I felt the growing pains of being a young woman, mixed race/Australian born and studying jazz. I was neither here nor there.'

'Nuketown', the first single from the forthcoming release, is out now following global premieres with Complex UK & London's Worldwide FM. Upon hearing early mixes, Gilles Peterson handpicked the track to feature on his most recent compilation, Brownswood Bubblers Thirteen, via Brownswood Recordings. Touted by local tastemakers and HypeMachine blog Purple Sneakers as "the debut single we didn't know we needed", 'Nuketown' has found airplay with national stations triple j & Double J, placement in Spotify's Just Chill playlist, rotation with Sydney's FBi Radio, and enthusiastic support from community radio and online media around the country and beyond.

"A flawless example of the kind of music we can expect from Tiana going forward. [Nuketown] creates something completely original, drawing elements from jazz but never chasing a particular sound or vibe. Everything comes naturally, taking you on a journey with the instrumentation matching the ebbs and flows of Tiana Khasi's sweet vocals. It serves as an exemplary debut for the young artist, and can only mean better things are on the horizon." - Complex UK

A keystone artist in her hometown whose live reputation precedes her via her work fronting local jazz/hip-hop collective Astro Travellers, Tiana Khasi's voice has been praised as "elegant" (Life Without Andy), "most dope" (Audiosteez) and "as venomous as it is honey-sweet" (Happy). A trained jazz vocalist, Tiana's unique sound is heavily influenced by her Samoan and Indian heritage, and has seen her support Jamaican-American "TrapHouseJazz" sensation Masego, Swedish soul artist Fatima and acclaimed Australian collective 30/70.

Last year saw The Last Poets celebrate their 50-year anniversary with the righteous, politically-charged poetic record, "Understand What Black Is". Now to continue the party, Brighton production-maestro Prince Fatty has reworked the album with a fresh twist and blend of smooth, dub-delights. Set to land on the 29th March, the revolution marches on - this is "Understand What Dub Is".

After Prince Fatty's involvement in the production of the original project, he was the perfect person to help update the record with five decades of experience for a new audience to enjoy. The ten tracks of "Understand What Black Is" depict a relevant, historical philosophy of identity and race that has followed The Poets over the last 50 years. Since the origins of the civil rights movements back in the late 60's, Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan (two of the longest-standing group members) have provided social commentaries and a voice to African-American consciousness that has now been heard on a global scale.

Their raps, exploitations and insights quickly evolved into the origins of hip-hop in Harlem, New York back in 1968, and now in 2019 they continue to voice their dedication to the cause with the backing of slick rock-steady infused beats to keep things moving. Having had their work sampled by the likes of NWA, Dr Dre, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and countless others is just a testament to the timeless sounds and prophecy they have created, and now Prince Fatty has stepped up to put his stamp on it.

Prince Fatty's ever-reliable work gives "Understand What Black Is" another lease of life as he maintains an undeniably slick groove throughout. Both therapeutic and warm, the soulful rhythms of "Understand What Dub Is" provide the perfect platform for The Last Poets to delve into everything from Trump's inauguration, nods to Biggie Smalls and respect to Prince. The calm, collective and downright thought-provoking words go hand-in-hand with the roots-driven reggae medleys with ease - this is dub in its rawest form.

Not only do these songs explore personal struggles and individual endeavours, they also represent a collective of deprived aspects of humanity and socialism, that perhaps now need to be pointed out more than ever. Although there is a variation of sound, the overlying topics remain a constant - it is time to "Understand What Black Is" once more.