Suche:go soul

ITALIAN LIBRARY GEM RE-IMAGINED BY BEATMAKER KORALLE AND RAPPER ILLA J

Four Flies is proud to present a new installment in the RELOVED series, 'New Levels / Chartreuse', with an original track from late-70s Italian ensemble Modern Sound Quartet and a rework from producer and beatmaker Koralle featuring iconic rapper Illa J.

In keeping with the aim of the series, which is to put a modern and urban spin on tunes from Italian golden age soundtracks and library music, Koralle has used the unique jazz-funk sound of the original sample to create a smooth and stylish hip-hop beat to which Illa J adds irresistible swag and coolness. More than a remix, 'New Levels' is a new composition that takes 'Chartreuse' into the world of contemporary hip-hop and rap.

Lorenzo Nada, aka Koralle, is a musician, beatmaker and producer from Bologna, Italy. Nada is best known for his project Godblesscomputers, which kicked off a couple of years ago while he was living in Berlin. After releasing four albums/EPs and touring Europe with a four-piece band, Nada is heading into a new direction as Koralle. Firmly rooted in hip-hop, Koralle is taking his jazz crates and field recordings to the studio. Equipped with an array of synths, Rhodes and bass, he creates deeply textured tracks that touch mind, body and soul. "Each beat is like an object found at the bottom of the sea," says Koralle to describe his music. And adds: "The samples emerge from the depths of my record collection and find a new meaning, transformed, like corals from the bottom of the ocean."

Rapping on Koralle's beat is Detroit artist Illa J. Raised in a musical family (his father played piano, his mother sang, and his older brother is the late hip-hop producer J Dilla), he grew up surrounded by jazz, gospel and soul, before building a name for himself as a rapper with a distinctive flow and timbre, but also as a singer and songwriter. Illa J has said of his approach to lyric writing that "the melody comes first, then I bring the words in, even when I'm rapping, you know rhythmically. I'm a singer, so melody comes first, but in terms of the subject matter, the music tells you."

The Modern Sound Quartet was an ensemble led by Milanese pianist and composer Oscar Rocchi. It included Rocchi on keys, Andrea Surdi on drums, Ernesto Verardi on guitars, and Luigi Cappellotto on bass. 'Chartreuse' (written by Cappellotto) comes from their 1976 library LP Cocktail Bar – a collection of jazz-funk/jazz-rock/fusion tunes, each named after a famous spirit. While little known to the general public, Cocktail Bar is highly sought after by diggers, DJs and beatmakers.

'New Levels / Chartreuse' is the fifth release in the RELOVED series, following Jolly Mare's retouch of Piero Umiliani's 'Discomania' (12"), Free The Robots' rework Gianni Safred's 'Autumn 2001' (7"), Dengue Dengue Dengue's remix of Giuliano Sorgini's 'Oasi Nella Giungla' (7"), and Fratelli Malibu's reversioning of Alessandro Alessandroni's 'Tema di Susie' (12"). The 7" releases are co-curated by fellow independent label Little Beat More.

Mitte der 1970er erlebten Diskotheken in Tokio und ganz Japan einen Boom, als die Disco-Welle aus den USA zu ihnen rüberschwappte. Bis in die frühen 1980er hinein wurde die Musik von erfahrenen Studiomusikern - und nicht per Computereinspielung - aufgenommen, was für einen soliden Sound auf dem Dancefloor sorgte. Disco-Musik lief auch in TV-Serien, Werbespots und Animes. Von Godiegos Monsterhit 'The Birth Of The Odyssey – Monkey Magic' bis zu Pink Parachutes obskurem (und ausgezeichnetem!) 'Disco Great Tokyo' erkundet diese Auswahl einige der besten Disco- & Boogie-Tracks, die Ende der 1970er/Anfang der 1980er auf dem legendären Nippon Columbia-Label veröffentlicht wurden.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) return with their 14th studio album Bauhaus Staircase, over six years after the triumph of their Top 4-charting record The Punishment of Luxury. The album was born from the impetus to kickstart new explorations during lockdown when as Andy McCluskey admits: “I rediscovered the creative power of total boredom.”

The album’s first offering as a single is the title track which serves as a nod both to Andy McCluskey’s love of the Bauhaus era & the power of protest art. “I am a huge lover of visual arts especially mid 20th century movements” Andy comments. “The song is a metaphor for strength and artist passion in the face of criticism and adversity. When times are hard there is a tendency for Governments to look at cutting funding for creativity just at the moment when the arts are most needed to nourish our souls. It seems appropriate that the song and its eponymous album were created during Covid Lockdown.”

Ranging further from the beautiful film noir ballad of ‘Veruschka’ and the dance stylings of ‘Anthropocene’ - a term for the current epoch in Earth’s evolution to the sinister ‘Evolution Of Species’ and the hectic ‘Kleptocracy’ - OMD’s greatest straight-up protest song - the new album is a broad electronic sonic masterpiece that lyrically tackles the topics of the future. The record closes on ‘Healing’ - a moment of reflective calm.

By rights OMD should be in semi-retirement performing classics like Enola Gay and Maid Of Orleans on the nostalgia festival circuit like so many peers. Instead they’ve created a landmark album worthy of their finest work. Bauhaus Staircase remains unmistakably the work of a duo who are still perfectly in sync 45 years after their first gig at legendary Liverpool club Eric’s.


“I’m very happy with what we’ve done on this record" McCluskey summarises. “I’m comfortable if this is OMD’s last statement.”

ONO Records is proud to present a long awaited project from EDN, the recording project of Elena Nees. Hailing from Adelaide / Kaurna, Elena has crafted her sound in the form of sweet bedroom folk and pop, self releasing a number of tender EPs since 2020 along with releasing a fantastic six track cassette with the esteemed Naarm based cassette label Healthy Tapes under her Allume alias. Here, the EDN moniker takes these folk pop sensibilities and filters them through a love for electronic hardware production and music.

The record begins with the end-of-the-night dancefloor ballad ‘A Mirror’. Jittering and agitated drum programing makes way for EDN’s feather-weight vocals, cleverly manipulated over bubbling synths as the track melts into a bonafide braindance-pop anthem. ‘(Blue!) Flor’ keeps the tempo rising, breaking out into a funked drum machine jam allowing pearlescent pads to intermittently wash over. The thumping ‘Ummmm’ continues the jam ending the first side with an urgent techno-not-techno freak out.

Side B opens with the crystalline fourth world ambience of ‘Mess 1’ before EDN’s angelic antipodean twang takes the spotlight again on the gorgeous and introspective ‘2 Bored Angels’. Interluding briefly with the trip-hop induced breakbeat experiments of ‘Slo’, ‘Mirror Fuck’ bookends the record perfectly with glistening keys and EDN’s soulful vocals singing of longing and desire. An excellent closer. 

EDN gives us a triumphant and utterly unique record that unveils itself more and more with each listen and highlights her immense and diverse talent. One we are proud to include in the ONO catalogue!

Written & Produced by Elena Nees
Artwork by Mathieu Larone & Grace Otto
Mastering by Marco Pellegrino

Where everything Numero begins. Three guys in a purple Saturn station wagon drove down to Columbus, Ohio, and came back to Chicago with a lost label - the rest is history. In the early '70s, Bill Moss' Capsoul imprint could barely break wind in the larger music marketplace, and yet today the label's output can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any classic soul of its era. Isolated in central Ohio and lacking the funds to back them, groups like the Four Mints and Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr might've easily withstood ten rounds against the Temptations, Smokey, or Otis. The scrappy Capsoul writing team of Dean Francis, Jeff Smith, and Norman Whiteside would've thrown blow-for-hook-filled-blow with any Gamble & Huff or Holland/Dozier/Holland thrown at them. From Bill Moss' civil rights meditation "Sock It To 'Em Soul Brother" to Marion Black's future hit about the future "Who Knows" to Kool Blues bounding "I'm Gonna Keep on Loving You," Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label remains dollar-for-dollar the best soul compilation of its century and the perfect primer for anyone piqued by the Eccentric Soul series - otherwise known around here as the "budding Numero enthusiast."

Studio One was founded by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd1 in 1954, and the first recordings were cut in 1963 on Brentford Road in Kingston.1[2] Amongst its earliest records were "Easy Snappin" by Theophilus Beckford, backed by Clue J & His Blues Blasters, and "This Man is Back" by trombonist Don Drummond. Dodd had previously issued music on a series of other labels, including World Disc, and had run Sir Coxsone the Downbeat, one of the largest and most reputable sound systems in the Kingston ghettos.
In the early 1960s, the house band providing backing for the vocalists were the Skatalites[3] (1964–65), whose members (including Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, Jackie Mittoo, Lester Sterling and Lloyd Brevett) were recruited from the Kingston jazz scene by Dodd. The Skatalites split up in 1965 after Drummond was jailed for murder, and Dodd formed new house band the Soul Brothers (1965–66), later named the Soul Vendors (1967) and Sound Dimension (1967-). From 1965 to 1968 they played 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 5 days a week, 12 rhythms a day (about 60 rhythms a week) with Jackie Mittoo as music director, Brian Atkinson (1965–1968) on bass, Hux Brown on guitar, Harry Haughton (guitar), Joe Isaacs on drums (1966–1968), Denzel Laing on percussion, and on horns (some initially and some throughout): Roland Alphonso, Dennis 'Ska' Campbell, Bobby Ellis, Lester Sterling, among others on horns during the era of Rock Steady. Headley Bennett, Ernest Ranglin, Vin Gordon and Leroy Sibbles were included among a fluid line-up, to record tracks directed by Jackie Mittoo at Studio One from 1966-1968.
During the night hours at Studio One from 1965-1968, singers like Bob Marley, Burning Spear, The Heptones, The Ethiopians, Ken Boothe, Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt, Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, Bunny Wailer[4] and Johnny Nash, among others, would put on headphones to sing lyrics to original tracks recorded by the Soul Brothers earlier each day. These seminal recordings included "Real Rock" (by Sound Dimension), "Heavy Rock", "Jamaica Underground", "Wakie Wakie", "Lemon Tree", "Hot Shot", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Dancing Mood", and "Creation Rebel".
Jackie Mittoo, Joe Isaacs, and Brian Atkinson left Studio One in 1968, recorded drums and bass for Desmond Dekker's and Toots' biggest hits at other Kingston studios, then moved to Canada. Hux Brown stayed in Jamaica to record on the soundtrack The Harder They Come, The Harder They Fall, and toured in Nigeria with Toots and the Maytals and Fela Kuti. The Soul Brothers (a.k.a. Sound Dimension) formed the basis of reggae music in the late 1960s, being versioned and re-versioned time after time over decades by musicians like Shaggy, Sean Paul, Snoop Lion, The Clash, String Cheese Incident, UB40, Sublime, and countless other Billboard originals and remakes trying to emulate their original Rock Steady sound at Coxsone's Studio One.
The label and studio were closed when Dodd relocated to New York City in the 1980s.

Cam Cameron appears to be another one of those performers from an infinite list of Black American artists that cut a solitary 45 single and then disappear into obscurity never to be seen or heard from again. Couple this with the passing of any of the relevant protagonists from the time along with any of the surviving ones ever diminishing memories and the job of collating events and artists back stories from over 50 years ago becomes that much harder.

Cam Cameron appears to be one of those artists (although our investigations are ongoing). Therefore, from the information currently gleaned, the artist Cam Cameron was none other than Alvin Cameron the writer of the featured song “You Say”, with Cam being a kind of nickname. The string arrangements on both “They Say” and “I’m A Lonely Man” were provided by the late John Andrew Cameron a hugely respected arranger, producer and songwriter within the Chicago music scene of the 1960’s and early 70’s, more often credited as Johnny Cameron. Johnny’s credits can be found on many recordings of the time often working with fellow Chicago music scene producer Clarence Johnson, some of the highlights from this liaison being the song “I Really Love You” recorded by both Jimmy Burns (Erica) and Bobby James (Karol) and the girl group, ‘The Lovelites’, on their acclaimed album “With Love From The Lovelites” (Uni). Johnny’s involvement with the Scott Brothers goes as far back as 1965 when he provided the musical arrangements on The Howard Scott penned song “I’ve Got To Get Over” recorded by Syl Johnson for the TMP-Ting label. Although they share the same surname, Alvin (Cam) Cameron is believed to be of no relation to Johnny Cameron.



“You Say” would gain a release on the independent Capri label owned by Sephus Howard Scott who together with brother Walter Scott composed the 45’s flipside “I’m A Lonely Man”. Howard also featured as one of the songs producers alongside the mysterious Edgar Mullins (a name which has been found on a couple of other tape boxes, the investigations continue).

Musical accompaniment was provided by The Scott Brothers Band, with both songs being recorded at RCA Victor’s Chicago number 2 Recording Studio at 445 North Lake Shore Drive, in the Navy Pier section. on the 10th of August 1967 and released on Capri Records during the month of February 1968.



Cameron’s “You Say” was another 45 that was first introduced to UK Soul Collectors via those much lamented and fondly remembered soul packs, always regarded as a quality collector’s 45 the only regular turntable action remembered was provided by Northampton’s very own discerning DJ Cliff Steele at venues such as ‘Detroit Academicals’, ‘Bretby Country Club’ and later ‘Albrighton’ during the leaner days of the UK Rare Soul Scene?! Hopefully a wider appreciation of both sides of this soulful Windy City 45 beckons! The second release in Soul Junction’s Capri series.

A compilation of rare spiritual jazz and funk grooves culled from the archives of producer Bob Shad's Mainstream Records. Alice Clark's cult classic Never Did I Stop Loving You' features here alongside many gems uncovered for the first time.
Bob Shad worked with titans such as Charlie Parker and Lightnin' Hopkins in the 40s, founded the EmArcy jazz label in the 50s, and discovered Janis Joplin in the 60s, and started the Mainstream label in 1964.

From Afrique's classic House of the Rising Funk' and its funky wah wah frenzy, to Hadley Caliman's deep jazz Flute ode, From one of Clark Terry's famous Mumbles (Shad produced the original with Oscar Peterson) to Jack Wilkins' Red Clay' sampled by both A Tribe Called Quest and Chance the Rapper. A Soul Music lover, Shad also excelled in soul divas and produced Ellerine Harding, Maxine Weldon and of course the mighty Alice Clark. Carmen McRae, one of Shad's long time collaborators, gives a soulful, conga-led version of the classic Feelin' Good, originally made famous by Nina Simone

Studio One was founded by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd1 in 1954, and the first recordings were cut in 1963 on Brentford Road in Kingston.1[2] Amongst its earliest records were "Easy Snappin" by Theophilus Beckford, backed by Clue J & His Blues Blasters, and "This Man is Back" by trombonist Don Drummond. Dodd had previously issued music on a series of other labels, including World Disc, and had run Sir Coxsone the Downbeat, one of the largest and most reputable sound systems in the Kingston ghettos.
In the early 1960s, the house band providing backing for the vocalists were the Skatalites[3] (1964–65), whose members (including Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, Jackie Mittoo, Lester Sterling and Lloyd Brevett) were recruited from the Kingston jazz scene by Dodd. The Skatalites split up in 1965 after Drummond was jailed for murder, and Dodd formed new house band the Soul Brothers (1965–66), later named the Soul Vendors (1967) and Sound Dimension (1967-). From 1965 to 1968 they played 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 5 days a week, 12 rhythms a day (about 60 rhythms a week) with Jackie Mittoo as music director, Brian Atkinson (1965–1968) on bass, Hux Brown on guitar, Harry Haughton (guitar), Joe Isaacs on drums (1966–1968), Denzel Laing on percussion, and on horns (some initially and some throughout): Roland Alphonso, Dennis 'Ska' Campbell, Bobby Ellis, Lester Sterling, among others on horns during the era of Rock Steady. Headley Bennett, Ernest Ranglin, Vin Gordon and Leroy Sibbles were included among a fluid line-up, to record tracks directed by Jackie Mittoo at Studio One from 1966-1968.
During the night hours at Studio One from 1965-1968, singers like Bob Marley, Burning Spear, The Heptones, The Ethiopians, Ken Boothe, Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt, Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, Bunny Wailer[4] and Johnny Nash, among others, would put on headphones to sing lyrics to original tracks recorded by the Soul Brothers earlier each day. These seminal recordings included "Real Rock" (by Sound Dimension), "Heavy Rock", "Jamaica Underground", "Wakie Wakie", "Lemon Tree", "Hot Shot", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Dancing Mood", and "Creation Rebel".
Jackie Mittoo, Joe Isaacs, and Brian Atkinson left Studio One in 1968, recorded drums and bass for Desmond Dekker's and Toots' biggest hits at other Kingston studios, then moved to Canada. Hux Brown stayed in Jamaica to record on the soundtrack The Harder They Come, The Harder They Fall, and toured in Nigeria with Toots and the Maytals and Fela Kuti. The Soul Brothers (a.k.a. Sound Dimension) formed the basis of reggae music in the late 1960s, being versioned and re-versioned time after time over decades by musicians like Shaggy, Sean Paul, Snoop Lion, The Clash, String Cheese Incident, UB40, Sublime, and countless other Billboard originals and remakes trying to emulate their original Rock Steady sound at Coxsone's Studio One.
The label and studio were closed when Dodd relocated to New York City in the 1980s.

Comes with a biographical interview insert telling the fascinating story behind Fantasy Train and the creation of their unique 1984 album for the first time.

File together with: Donnie & Joe Emerson - Dreamin' Wild and Jr. & His Soulettes - Psychodelic Sounds albums.

"From a southern small town this after school project is hard to describe other than there's nothing else like it. Teens exploring soul, funk and rock and this album is their interpretation of all three. Catchy tunes, plenty of effects and earnest vocals. Fantasy Train is one of the freshest sounds I've heard in many years of digging." Rich Haupt (Rockadelic).

"Cool teen rock meets DIY modern soul laden with psyched guitars, weird sci-fi effects, and alternate male/female vocals. There's also cheesy synth-wave realms and dreamy late night gospel overtones." Taro Miyasugi (Vinyl Anaconda).

"Fantasy Train is a unique, genre-bending album cooked up in the sweltering Southern heat that impresses me with a special kind of style and panache. It is an amazing venture - their sound is clearly rooted in the soul of the '60s and the funk of the '70s but flourishes even further with the added electro-swagger of the '80s, and there is a certain genius to its fluidity. I don't really believe in genres anyway. The band's wild imagination and their excellent musical use of a laser pistol made clear to me that this album was one of a kind." Sam Swig (Mystery Brew).

Liverpool’s acclaimed sensual existentialist Brad stank today announces the release of his resolutely romantic new album In The Midst of You on January 26th via his new label Sunday Best Recordings. He launches the album alongside the quintessentially Brad ‘Natty Wine’ and its accompanying video. The new single ‘Natty Wine’ neatly encapsulates the many charms that emerge throughout the album. With Brad backed by soulful female vocal harmonies, the song’s jazzy psychedelia possesses a touch of twanging Americana, its warm and vibrant live instrumentation making for a song as relaxed as a Sunday afternoon in the sun. It’s also notable for featuring Brad’s favourite percussive instrument deep in the mix: a wooden frog. He adds, “This is a tongue-in-cheek song I wrote after being gifted a bottle of natural wine by a friend. I’m a working class boy who would much rather drink shitty lager at a party, like Stella or Holsten Pils. I’ve got no right to be writing a song about natty wine but I was feeling bougie. It’s a love song in disguise, I liked the imagery of lyrics like, ‘Your sweet loving just keeps dripping from the vine.’” In The Midst of You finds Brad in late night lothario mode, his previous seductive style now taking a more resolutely romantic and perhaps surprisingly spiritual direction. The phrase “in the midst of you” comes from the Bible, Zephaniah 3:17, “the full quote is something along the lines of “God is in the midst of you” - basically meaning that you have to look inward for peace or enlightenment, etc. the album is about that in parts and also, as always, I tried to put a romantic twist on it so that the “in the midst of you” is about being in love with somebody. It’s kind of a juxtaposition but I’ve always enjoyed taking spiritual messages and giving them a double meaning, explains Brad. “Hopefully it’s a positive message of prostrating yourself to somebody, or to spirituality or something - but giving yourself fully to something , being in the midst…”

"Cross My Heart" is a tribute to the harmonica player and singer James Cotton, one of Boney Fields" heroes and companions on the road, is certainly the most representative track of this thrilling groove mood that authentic blues musicians know how to infuse. Boney Fields possesses that almost funk tone matured enough to tickle our ears and make us tap our feet. By revitalizing, for example, "The Thrill Is Gone" in the spirit of its original author (Roy Hawkins), Boney Fields perpetuates the tradition of spirited orchestras of yesteryears without compromising the modernity of its irresistible tempo. Much more personal than all his previous albums, "Just Give Me Some Mo" is also the expression of introspection, that of a man who remembers without drowning in dark nostalgia. He thinks of the courage of his mother bravely facing obstacles in an unequal America. "Back in the Day" is not a sad song. It makes one stronger and nurtures faith in the future. This melody is certainly the most touching of the six compositions written by Boney Fields. From "Control of you" to "Something" holding me" or "I know yes I Know" he invites us into his intimate biography, the story of a large family shaken by inevitable upheavals that must be faced, the destiny of a combative musician who resists adversity. Boney Fields chose to let his soul speak. This effort of truth had to be supported by the artistic direction of a master. By enlisting Sebastian Danchin for the production of this album, Boney Fields turns to a historian of African-American culture whose keen ear has already won over Little Milton, Mighty Mo Rodgers, Toni Green, and Jean-Jacques Milteau, among others... Their exchanges uncovered a perfect understanding of "Chicago Blues" the brassy vigor of which they experienced firsthand 40 years ago. Surrounding oneself with the right people is quite a challenge. Fortunately, Boney Fields knows how to spot true talents. He was convinced that the Senegalese guitarist Hervé Samb would also be a good musical director. Hadn"t he been the first to highlight the expressive power of this luminous composer and arranger? The enduring vitality of the blues, when narrated with precision and insight, always manages to find its legitimacy. The months of reflection, of questioning, will not have been in vain. They have given substance and depth to this thrilling record which, we wager, will be a milestone. Boney Fields has waited long enough. Does he want more? We will give him more! "Just Give Me Some Mo" will now be a shared leitmotif, that of an insatiable conductor and that of enlightened admirers.

Goatsnake was formed in 1996 by guitarist Greg Anderson (Engine Kid), vocalist Pete Stahl (Scream, Wool), and the mega rhythm section of Greg Rogers (drums) Guy Pinhas (bass) from underground heavy legends the Obsessed. Their now-classic debut album appropriately entitled: I (one) was originally released by Mans Ruin records in 1999. 8 songs that gracefully combine monolithic, Sabbathy riffs with soulful vocals to create a monumental album. It has now been reissued as a single vinyl lp as it was originally released for the first time since 1999.

Enigmatic Society is the next offering from the multi-faceted, Grammy-nominated supergroup Dinner Party. Full of opulently intricate instrumentation and a range of sleek R&B to smooth neo-soul vocals, Enigmatic Society is mesmerizing in its entirety.

The album features brilliant performances from the debut Dinner Party crew: Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder, with additional help vocalists Phoelix, Arin Ray, Ant Clemons, Tank and producers Sounwave, Hi-Tek and Trevor Lawrence Jr. Enigmatic Society serves as a follow up to the group’s 2020 debut self-titled album and continues as a celebration of Black joy, life, art, and culture, as it pays tribute to the duality that manifests in both the beauty and adversity in Black America. This deep sense of community and family flows throughout the project with the album’s artwork designed by Kamasi Washington’s sister, artist Amani Washington.

"Come Around and Love me", the title track from Jalen's smash debut album, is a modern, mid-tempo masterpiece whose lush arrangement and laser-sharp groove provide the perfect foundation for Jalen's profoundly soulful vocals. The track exudes charm and manifests positivity in a way rarely captured on today's soul scene. On the flip is the moody, previously unreleased beat-ballad, "What is Left to Do", whose gorgeous strings, plaintive, call and response chorus and tasteful delay create the kind of subdued psychedelic that was coming out of Motown in the early 70's. But contrary to the trends of that era, both sides of this disc are presented in glorious mono.

"Nicoles Songwriting und ihr Gesang entwickeln sich von Album zu Album stärker. Sie weiß, wie man rockt, sie kann eine gefühlvolle Ballade vortragen, die Herzen bricht, und sie kann eine Jazz-Line singen, die sie in die Nähe von Nina Simone rückt." -Living BluesDie Grammy-nominierte, 7-fache Blues Music Award-Gewinnerin Danielle Nicole zählt zu den besten Sängerinnen und Bassistinnen der heutigen Roots-Musik. Zu Beginn der Aufnahmen zu "The Love You Bleed" wusste Danielle Nicole, dass dieses neue Album anders sein würde als die bisherigen. Das von Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal, Eric Burdon, Robert Cray) produzierte und von John Porter (B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bryan Ferry) abgemischte Album ist voll von Liebe, Verlust, Wille, Entschlossenheit und all den anderen Dingen, die mit der Liebe zusammenhängen. Die Leadsingle "Make Love" handelt davon, den Schmerz bewusst zu überwinden und sich in den schwierigen Momenten des Lebens für Liebe, Familie und Gemeinschaft zu entscheiden. "How Did We Get to Goodbye" mit seinem rohen und ehrlichen Text dokumentiert eine gescheiterte Liebe, in der es weder einen Helden noch den Bösen gibt, und stellt die Frage, wie man in solch eine Situation gelangt, ohne es zu bemerken. Der Track "Love On My Brain" ist eine starke Mischung aus altem R&B und treibendem Blues und mit "Right By Your Side" gibt es eine klassische Soul/R&B-Ballade, in der es darum geht, nie wieder den Fehler zu machen, "the one and only" gehen zu sehen.

The Bronx in the 1970s, marked by the presence of notorious gangs, presented a complex and challenging urban landscape. Amidst the crumbling infrastructure and economic decline, neighbourhoods bore the scars of disinvestment, reflected in abandoned buildings and neglected public spaces. The prevalence of street gangs, such as the Ghetto Brothers, contributed to an atmosphere of heightened tension and occasional violence. Graffiti adorned subway cars and buildings, expressing both social unrest and the vibrant creativity of the community. Despite the challenges, there was a resilient spirit among residents, evidenced by grassroots efforts to address social issues. The Bronx during this era was a dynamic yet tumultuous mix of cultural expression, social struggle, and the determined spirit of a community facing adversity. The Ghetto Brothers, originating from the Melendez family who moved from Puerto Rico to the South Bronx in the 1950s, faced challenges involving violence and crime. Despite this, Benjy, a key figure, directed the group towards community improvement. The Ghetto Brothers embraced music, crafting a potent, NYC-flavored musical fusion that caught the attention of record mogul Ismael Maisonave (Salsa Records). Their collaboration resulted in the recording of eight tracks in a single electrifying day at Manhattan's Fine Tone Studios, skillfully produced by Latin studio maestro Bobby Marin (Harvey Averne, La Lupe, Brooklyn Sounds…). This musical odyssey showcases the band's ability to seamlessly blend genres, creating a NYC-flavored stew that captivates listeners with its authenticity. The hypnotic rhythms, infectious guitar riffs, and impassioned vocals reflect the Ghetto Brothers' commitment to expressing their unique experiences and uplifting their community through the universal language of music. "Power-Fuerza" is not just an album; it's a sonic testament to the Ghetto Brothers' fusion of resilience, cultural richness, and musical innovation. Each track is a vibrant tapestry, weaving together the

raw energy of the South Bronx streets and the soulful melodies born from the trio's Puerto Rican heritage. Embrace the timeless resonance of the Ghetto Brothers’ “Power-Fuerza”, one of the best Latin funk albums ever recorded…

PRESSING OF 200 COPIES ON CLEAR VINYL.

RIYL Zero 7/ Plaid / Hot Chip / Weather Report / Isolee / Baby Fox

Old friends Julian Bates and Alex Gray —working together as Mighty Truth for the first time since 1995’s From The City To The Sea — filled a car with old analogue synths, kids’ noise toys, and collected field recordings took a road trip down to hole up in an old water mill in southwest England’s bird-twittery, bee-loud Quantock hills.

Things got cinematic: unequal measures of early Weather Report, Wim Wenders, and Serge Gainsbourg kept them wonderfully lost in their imagined world. Back in London with guest singers Allonymous (Paris via Chicago) and Wayne Paul (London), they completed the album and decided to just call it Mighty Truth. With an aim to present the live show at moonlight pop-up cinema venues, Mighty Truth are here for the next chapter in their epic saga.

Back then….

Old friends Julian Bates and Alex Gray first met through their shared obsession with classic cars (both owned old SAAB 96s). At the time, Julian’s band Nightrains was signed to ACE Records in the UK whilst Alex worked first as a session keyboardist for the likes of Edwyn Collins, Billy Mackenzie, and Busta “Cherry” Jones, and later as a mixer and remixer working with S’express producer Pascal Gabriel, Malcolm McLaren, and soul DJ legend Dr Bob Jones.

Working together in the studio for the first time producing Vanessa Freeman (4 hero), Alex and Julian decided to embark on a drop-tempo jazz trip project they named Mighty Truth. Dr Bob heard that first self-released vocal track “Rebirth” and started dropping it on Kiss FM (UK). After guest DJ slots on Coldcut’s Kiss show, Alex and Julian signed to Tongue and Groove records.

The album From the City to the Sea produced a number of singles and both “Rebirth” and “Is it a Wizard or a Blizzard” were licensed to many compilations both in the UK and internationally (eg. Dope on Plastic, Mole Listening Pearls, Eight Ball).
The Sound of Sinners is a NYC boutique record label focused on vinyl and digital releases by Indie, ambient, avant-garde and electronic artists.

Dutch soul singer GIOVANCA's second album "WHILE I'M AWAKE" (2010).

Japanese reissue in 2LP with obi strip.

Produced by Benny Sings.

The vinyl edition of Klein's 2022 album: »STAR IN THE HOOD« plays like a cracked, tarnished mirror of contemporary numbing music, replacing long-form expression with tighter, more explosive and sometimes completely freeform transmissions that will wake you up from your overly comfortable environmental music slumber. Opening with cycling ghost drones, dialog and piano motifs that blur into heartfelt noise, »black star« is all loping, looping piano and chthonic vocals spiked with cheese-grater noise and chipmunked chirps. It’s Klein’s delirious vocal runs that push the album to the next level though; like her style-defining »Lagata« and the Hyperdub-released »Tommy,« she subverts the raw material that makes up R&B, turning memorable hooks into blurry impressions that will glue to your mind like a diva moment on a Suburban Bass cut.

She keels into longform on »schooled,« fogging organ drones into hazed clouds that gust into imposing shapes over a 10-minute duration, rekindling the dialog between contemporary noise and gospel music. Grandiose classical sounds receive a similar treatment on ‘Friend in the Mirror’, pulled into disorienting shapes that dispel any notions of class gatekeeping; in the final third, Klein’s voice interrupts the mood, before machine-gun percussion reminds us not to get too comfortable. If yr in search of beauty, »postcode wars« finds Klein fuzzing euphoric chords into an afterparty woosh of half-heard voices and dribbling synths. She simultaneously channels rapture and wrath, poignantly torching the contemporary societal skeleton without losing her near-at-hand community in the process.

Midway through the album there’s a thematic pivot signalled by the brief »shorty alert,« a trilling mass of carnivalesque vocal quirks that sound like spiders spitting DMT into yr eardrums. From here, things get darker and more unsettling: there’s doomed subterranean ambience on »signed and delivered«, Disney-esque piano motifs, blown-out lo-fi outsider rawk on »Swerve,« and speaker garbling free eccentric soul on »brand new day,« each struck through with that unmistakable high-vs-low culture posturing. It all brings us to the album’s unsettling one-two punch of ‘haha hehe business’, maybe the foamiest track we’ve heard from her this year, and the zonked »winter« - a piece that’s as crystal clear as Klein gets, an unprocessed heartstring-tugging vocal performance over acoustic guitar twangs.