The machinic rapture of Van Boom’s debut album, ‘Prosthetics’, firmly planted the Kuwaiti artist in the underground of critical producers that stoke grisly and inhuman themes. Set against the backdrop of the Gulf Region, these themes remain exceptionally nefarious. His latest release, the ‘NUBORNE’ EP, mounts wider explorations of the eviscerating sonic grounds that he began to depict with his first long-playing document.
Gestured with the EP’s title, ‘NUBORNE’ stakes its significance on regeneration and permutation, clearly relishing in the aftermath of ‘Prosthetics’. Across four tracks, Van Boom crafts precisely to forge a set of works that are attached to their live performance state. It’s here that the EP is at home, for this is where unknowns come into play, this is where distortion leads to novel structures. Featuring collaborations with whiterose, Safety Trance, and Evita Manji, ‘NUBORNE’ is rendered evermore atypical. Accompanying the shift in design, there’s an unnerving ambience that’s given free reign across the EP, too. Snapshots of solitude prick the focal points amongst rhythmic tics, as if these shards deform the tracks in real time. With sheer relentless momentum, Van Boom seizes a new path wielding his familiar forces.
Suche:la forge
"Run the Jewels - Hip-hop's preeminent collaboration between veteran rhyme-slayers El-P and Killer Mike —have gone from a whim-driven underground rap project to a worldwide sensation since the release of their 2013 debut Run The Jewels. Mixing the industrial grime of New York City with the vibrant bounce of the dirty South, they forge hip-hop's future while adhering to the core tenets of its bedrock: gymnastic displays of skills, incendiary political rhetoric, merciless braggadocio, battle-honed assholery, R-rated punchlines and a back-and-forth that brings the interplay of the shell-toe Adidas era screaming into our contemporary nightmare.
Tearing up the music industry rulebook, their self-titled 2013 debut was originally released through a series of website-crashing free album downloads. Featuring Outkast's Big Boi on Banana Clipper and Prince Paul on Twin Hype Back, it's a "rough and rabid ride"; a "swaggering victory lap for two artists at the peak of their creativity"; and been dubbed "one of the best hip-hop records of 2013"."
A1 Dharma
Opening the LP in lively fashion, JLM liberally flecks a detailed composition with exquisite breaks cymbals playing a key role in the evolving patterns as the track progresses while heavy layers of synth work forms a substantial atmosphere. Musical and resonant with micro melodies and sprinkles of FX, Dharma encapsulates JLMs everimpressive attention to detail throughout its seven minutes.
A2 Artha
Where to start with Artha Setting the scene immediately with an epic synth intro that whooshes through your mind to prepare you for what is to come, its immediately obvious JLM has crafted a modern day classic here. Crisp Hot Pants breaks drop before we are treated to inspiring, continually developing and rousing melodies with a tuneful 808 bassline playfully dancing below. One to drop any chance you get Artha deserves to be heard.
B1 Moksha
Delightfully clear, characterful percussion introduces Moksha, a dancefloor friendly piece which rolls along beautifully thanks to old school breakbeats seizing the initiative while fluid keys, filtered synths and waves of serene effects punctuate the production. The
kick-light breaks will stay long in the memory as perfect for both the headphones and the discerning dance floor, just as weve come to expect from JLM.
B2 Kama
Taking you back to the early Progression Sessions era with a modern scifi twist reminiscent of your favourite space operatics, Kama will sit effortlessly alongside tracks from those days and now with its simple yet memorable core wind melody, sprawled
across energetic breakbeats and wide layers of synths & pads to a typically appropriate bassline. Another fine example of the evolving diversity in JLMs production with Spatial.
C1 Boundary
Switching things up, JLM treats us to a notably laid back vibe as Boundary is introduced by understated, filtered synth work and explorative kicks before a mellow yet chunky break pattern provides energy to the track. Detailed as ever, a myriad of effects and
samples are introduced and dance around the mix with a wistful complexity, in a track destined to be in your playlist for some time to come.
C2 Hexis
Kicking things off with a filtered DJ friendly beat intro, Hexis soon drops with constant old school jungle synth work and periodical strings alongside rasping, striking breakbeats that drive the track forward with impressive energy. The breaks reverberate in and out of the mix at intervals as JLM toys with the listener at will, creating a tonally unique and vibrant composition very much worthy of our attention.
D1 Ideal Forms
Low pass breaks echo and jostle for position with FX free counterparts early doors in the finely crafted intro to Ideal Forms, slowly developing with a triumphant assortment of keys and synths before a third layer of breaks are added which underpin a detailed, yet never busy, breakbeat landscape. Occasional breakdowns offer respite in a glistening wilderness of comforting melodies and light ambience.
D2 Physis
JLM rounds the album off very much on form with Physis a suitably climactic piece that opens with a detailed array of percussion, synths and effects before superbly programmed breaks take over the mix. An occasional, all encompassing sci fi synth rush
permeates the atmosphere to almost cinematic levels, while a melodic bassline nestles below leaving you with a track (and an album) you will not forget.
Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)
2024 Repress!
“You Are Safe” – a title illustrating the safe haven, Keinemusik has built itself over the last years. This self determined action space of the DJ/producers Rampa, &ME and Adam Port; Reznik who’s favouring the DJ booth to the studio and painter/visual artist Monja Gentschow. At the same time it makes an offer to every listener: put your headphones on, boogie around your living room, let go, forget everything around you. When this is on – you are safe.
On his new album ‚forge’, ambient artist KMRU explores the blend of melody and noise, rhythm and drone. ‚forge’ marks the third release on Seil Records for the Nairobi born and Berlin based producer. Made up of 10 tracks, the album effortlessly wanders from intimate compositions over field recordings to deep and rich soundscapes.
The result feels like a living, breathing organism. Music you can immerse yourself in. Like few others, the 27 year old producer carved a niche of his own, capturing the essence of his raw live performances to form a highly unique listening experience that transcends what ambient music is known for.
‚forge‘ can both exist in the background as well as front and center. Filled with intricate details and vast sonic vistas, it invites the listeners to lose themselves in the music. It’s gentle, yet uncompromising; soft and warm, yet growly and dense.
An example of globalisation's ultra exoticisms: a Guinean hit that changed the perception of African music in European dance charts (selling over a million copies), covered by a Hongkongese pop star two years later, the perfect recipe for ensuring heavy frothing amongst diggers and collectors worldwide. Besides its aesthetic novelty, it's also highly effective on just about any dancefloor, a theme that sounds so familiar to many but then with the added unexpected surprised factor of the lyrics being sung in a female voice and in Cantonese -- a hard moment to forget on a well helmed club floor. Another generosity of this release amongst the other 3 tracks is a display of heavy Cantonese ballad prowess in the Adult Contemporary landscape, especially with a cover of Gamble & Huff's "When Will I See You Again", huge on the couples' slow dance scene, shameless drama.
If you haven’t been living under the rock you certainly know who Marilin is. Marinella is an Italian-born, London-based artist who with her utmost professionalism is no stranger to the powers of light and darkness, that depends on the mood of the party she is performing at. However here we will leave the light alone and focus on the darkness. Favoured by sir Craig Richards himself, Mariiin has toured the globe playing at the most different and unique events that has given her the edge and insightful knowledge she possesses. Whether she takes people on the musical journeys by herself or with her partner in crime Bobby, it is always an experience that is impossible to forget with the burning desire to repeat and repeat infinite number of times.
Her solo EP “La Notte” has a very unique and defined dark character which has landed on the label with absolutely in sync with its vision.
Exploration, collaboration and curiosity define the rhythm at the beating heart of Mehmet Aslan’s exemplary compositions. The Swiss-born producer of Turkish heritage has already forged a singular path through production, DJing and full-band performances, navigating the more esoteric corners of Berlin’s club culture without sacrificing his musical heritage or innate creativity.
A conceptual new LP ‘Auguri’ follows on from 2021’s gnomic, ornate ‘The Sun Is Parallel’, which saw Aslan musically associate with the likes of Valentina Magaletti and Niño De Elche. ‘Auguri’ also has its foundations in collaboration, born out of a musical lab at Lyon’s annual
Nuits Sonores, the forward-thinking festival with whom Aslan has maintained a lengthy creative relationship.
The resulting audio-visual performance, ‘Bird Signals For Earthly Survival’ introduced Aslan, to the Greek filmmaker Stratis Vogiatzis. Drawing on the philosophy of Donna Haraway and envisioning new ways of being, of living on earth, Aslan and Vogiatzis crane their necks to the sky to witness flocks of birds performing spectacular movements in unison. Fluid and ancient, their organic waltz provides inspiration for Aslan’s extension of the project, spanning sonic shades of electro, ambient and modern folk psychedelia.
On the coastline of Vogiatzis’s home country of Greece, as in many places across the world, climate change threatens to effect the ancient migration pattern of millions of birds, just as their fellow beings on terra firma become increasingly entangled in a man-made disaster of their own creation. In unison, ‘Auguri’ is adorned by artwork from designer Xavi Bou. Known for his ‘ornithographies’, this striking visual captures avian life not only as a force, but a wry observer.
“We need to transform our connections with other living beings to protect the Earth and live together harmoniously”, reflects Aslan. “Personally, this project has made me more sensitive to this issue. I wanted to give back in return for the inspiration I've received."
Perhaps upending expectations of a more traditional ‘ambient’ album, Aslan commits some of his finest compositional work and understated songwriting to this urgent imperative, creating original music that nonetheless, has nature flowing through it. ‘Critters’ presents a spectral sound collage on which Aslan himself speaks from the texts composed at the residency, conjuring visions of “the birds flying… shape of the future”. Meanwhile, the undulating, psychedelic ‘Pigeon Blinks’ takes inspiration from more domestic scenes, charting the unexpected roosting and hatching of an egg on a kitchen window, while ‘Auguri’ gives the album it’s title in connecting to a higher plain, demonstrating Aslan’s ability to lure melody and catharsis from looping hypnosis.
Opener ‘Spectra’ provides a forceful, almost industrial breakbeat that establishes the exigency of the album as well as its sense of wonder, while ‘Euphoria’ reaches the potency of its promise slowly, with Aslan’s modular melodies meeting the flourishing percussion of guest player and multi-instrumentalist, POPP. Finally, ‘Aura’ delivers a cinematic conclusion, mixing an elegiac organ motif, haunting guitar chords and the prophetic sense of a scorched earth. Here, with patience and soaring production, Aslan once more makes the abstract and the unthinkable somehow tangible, mixing in sampled birdsong.
Accordingly, ‘Auguri’ is being released in accordance with EarthPercent, the music industry’s climate foundation, co-founded by Brian Eno. A portion of the album’s publishing will be credited as part of ‘The Earth As Your Co-Writer’ initiative, allowing artists to directly credit The Earth in their new compositions. Here, streaming and publishing from Aslan’s recorded sounds are automatically paid back to a number of vital initiatives worldwide.
Leaning into some of the most vital questions and anxieties of our time, ‘Auguri’ is not a project without a sense of hope. From studio to sea, Mehmet Aslan continues to look to the skies and beyond.
After a duo of floor-stomping releases, Rhythm by Nature is back for its third release with one of the most prolific producers in the game — Tommy Vicari Jnr. The Sheffield-based musician went from being an enigmatic figure to becoming a true example of musical discipline, boasting a seemingly endless musical output under several aliases. With "Francis Bacon Size Hangover EP," Vicari presents a diverse four-track EP that showcases his ability to traverse various soundscapes without ever losing grip on rhythm.
'Francis Bacon Size Hangover' (A1) opens the EP in pure Vicari style, plunging atmospheric dub-infused pads, delayed drums and competently edited vocal breaks on a cosmos of shifting sound signatures. The result is an infectious dance floor weapon drenched in mind-boggling groove with funky, light-hearted undertones. 'B Doll' (A2) goes a bit jazzier, delivering an analogue-driven, breakbeat-tinted track with intricate percussion and deep, resonant synth work. B1: "Newdays" finds Vicari immersing himself in the essence of house music, powerfully rooted in Chicago's disco and proto-house aesthetics: punchy drums and propulsive basslines keep the track in constant motion while atmospheric textures forge an irresistible soundscape of skillfully layered, ingeniously sampled sounds. Originally crafted in 2004, 'Vommer' (B2) closes the EP by showcasing Vicari's longstanding dedication to his craft — a slow-burning, minimalistic dub track that's as beautifully understated as it is gracefully spaced out.
"Francis Bacon Size Hangover EP" is a testament to Tommy Vicari Jnr's enduring influence in the electronic music scene and proof that Rhythm by Nature is perfectly capable of continuing to build momentum.
Exzakt returns with ''LoveHertz,'' a masterfully crafted 10-track album released on Monotone that showcases his evolved veteran skills. This album is a flavorful fusion of Electro, Miami Bass, and Freestyle, exuding tons of character and energy. ''LoveHertz'' features a diverse array of tracks, from the powerful female vocals to the soulful vocoder ballads, and Exzakt's signature raw vocals. The standout tracks ''Don't Know How To Forget,'' ''Nothing Wrong,'' and ''Inside My Dream'' highlight Exzakt's ability to blend genres seamlessly, creating an immersive listening experience. With ''LoveHertz,'' Exzakt proves once again why he is a respected name in the electronic music scene, delivering a unique and compelling album that is sure to captivate listeners and leave a lasting impression.
- A1: S–O S–O Paulo 3 29
- A2: Curso Intensivo De Boas Maneiras 2 58
- A3: Glória 3 20
- A4: Namorinho De Port–O 2 35
- A5: Catecismo, Creme Dental E Eu 2 44
- A6: Camelô 2 15
- B1: N–O Buzine Que Eu Estou Paquerando
- B2: Profiss–O De Ladr–O 2 35
- B3: Sem Entrada E Sem Mais Nada 2 40
- B4: Parque Industrial 3 16
- B5: Quero Sambar Meu Bem 3 50
- B6: Sabor De Burrice
In 1968 Tom Zé; moved from Salvador Bahia to Sao Paulo where he hung out and wrote with his friends Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. Although initially part of theTropicalia movement, Zé was so independent he was determined to forge his own musical path. He started by recording Grande Liquidacao, a hyperactive pop album backed up by two incredible psychedelic rockbands: Os Brazoes and Os Versateis. Tom Zé's material on this album includes traditional Brazilian Tropicalia laced with crazy vocal melodies and samples a multitude of genres from funk to psychedelic rock and bossa nova creating in the process a sort of unheard pop exotica. This is especially apparent on the track šGloria› with its changing tempos, bubbling instrumentation and off-the-wall harmonies. The pace of the album, considering it was the 60™s, is brutal so Zé takes a break between songs to address the listener before resuming his zigzag trajectory. The album also includes the fantastic šParque Industrial› which was later recorded by Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso on the Tropicalia: Panis et Circenses album. Tom Zé was also arguably the creator of the first sampler. In the mid 1980's David Byrne pulled one of his albums out of the samba section of a Rio de Janeiro record store which led him to bringing Zé to worldwide attention by releasing numerous albums on the Luaka Bop label.
Ruby Red - Transparent - Galaxy effect vinyl in dub style jacket (jacket sleeve with center hole cut out so label of LP shows through) a black paper inner sleeve and poly bag.
PART ONE’ METAL HAMMER - 8/10 review. FOR FANS OF : Lustmord, Om, Sunn O))) . “An exercise in freeform ambience, ritualistic repetition and the rapturous, womb-like power of bass…strange and affecting. We remain lucky to share in the great man’s vision.”
At its heart, music has always been a questioning of inheritance – a dialogue with predecessors and forebears, the forging of one’s own perspective in relation to what has come before, and for some, a plunge into the boundless realms between. For Steve Von Till, that process has always taken on an added dimension to become the most sacred of tasks. Whether through the apocalyptic uprising of Neurosis, the sonic deconstructions of their sister project, Tribes of Neurot, the invocatory intimacy of his eponymous solo albums or his instrumental psychedelic reveries in the guise of Harvestman, that dialogue has never just been with musical influences, but with what underpins them: the primordial, elemental forces now banished to the peripheries of our contemporary consciousness, yet still broadcasting a signal for all who will listen.
Drawn to the megaliths, ruins and ancient sites mapped out along the British and European mainland’s geographical and psychic landscapes, the folklore and apocrypha forever resurfacing as portals from a rational world, “Triptych” is a meditation forged from traces and residues, and an hallucinatory recollection of artists who have tapped into that enduring otherworldliness embedded within us all. It’s a dream diary narrating a passage through Summer Isle where Flying Saucer Attack are wafting out of a window, a distant Fairport Convention are being remixed by dub master Adrian Sherwood, celestial scanners Tangerine Dream are trying to drown out Bert Jansch and Hawkwind are playing Steeleye Span covers, all prised out of time yet bound to its singularity.
Woven together from home studio recordings that span two decades, this latest outing as Harvestman finds parallels with nature’s cycles not just in its release dates but in the repeated structure that binds each album, like an imprint refracted through three separate strata. As with April’s “Part One” and the forthcoming “Part Three”, “Part Two”, starts on a collaboration with Om bassist and long-term friend of Steve’s, Al Cisneros, with a dub take opening the B-Side. Here, the opening track, “The Hag Of Beara Vs The Poet”’s languid, tribal groove expands into a chromatic wash, like an endless drip of oil spreading out under a midsummer haze.
A filtering of the alpha-state travelogues of its predecessor, “Part Two” reaches even deeper into primal yet pristine states. It journeys from the undulating drone and slow-thawing wonder of “The Falconer”, as if the Myst soundtrack were being broadcast from outer space, through “Damascus”’s perpetual-motion, dreamtime bazaar and “Vapour Phase”s seismograph frequencies measuring supernatural tremors to “The Unjust Incarceration”s distorted bagpipes, sounding a noise-frayed lament
If “Triptych” is a multi- and extra-sensory experience, it extends to the remarkable glyph-style artwork of Henry Hablak, a map of correspondences from a long-forgotten ancient and advanced civilization. As with “Triptych” itself, it’s an echo from another time, an act of binding, a guide to be endlessly reinterpreted, and a signpost to the sacred that might not indicate where to look, but how.
2024 repress
Bax is back. First released in 2011, Mosca’s UKG homage, ‘Bax’, did big things when it landed. Almost 10 years on, it’s time for a repress.
Though Mosca missed the golden era of garage in the nineties, he caught on to darkside pioneers such as Horsepower Productions, Benny Ill and El-B later on. A blend of homegrown British styles lies at the core of his electronic music influences, early dubstep, jungle, minimal grime and bassline, which he’d experienced first-hand at Sheffield’s legendary Niche club. (Little known fact: The name Bax is a partial nod to Steve Baxendale, the man behind Niche).
All these elements coalesced in the studio and the two-tracker materialised in a couple of days. Both sides of the record do their thing on the floor; ‘Bax’ with its now infamous ‘My DJ is live in the place’ sample, that earworm melody and a ruffneck b-line.
On the flip ‘Done Me Wrong’ sees Mosca incorporate several key garage tropes; the bassline swinging alongside soulful vocals (which get sliced and diced), not forgetting that cheeky rewind.
My DJ is back in the place...
The superduo formed by two authentic stars of the Italian dance scene is back with the ‘Rolling Wave’ EP on Mondo Groove. Daniele Baldelli needs no introduction; he has made a fiery mark on DJ history worldwide with his legendary sets. He built his eclectic and visionary style at the Baia Degli Angeli in the 1970s and Cosmic in the early 1980s, to the triumph of recent years, in demand at every latitude on the planet. DJ Rocca is one of Italy’s most inspired producers, his art forged in a mix of technique and passion, versatile enough to work alongside artists as diverse as Baldelli, Dimitri From Paris or one of the giants of Italian jazz, pianist Franco D’Andrea.
Daniele Baldelli & DJ Rocca are on fire in the four tracks of this new EP on Mondo Groove, which starts with the bleep sounds of the title track ‘Rolling Wave’, goes into orbit with the deep boogie of ‘Funk Infusion’ and a party number like ‘Marchin On’, and culminates in the refined disco-jazz digressions of ‘Focused Image’. A record that will be a future classic.
Pitch Dark is a new VA series brought to you by Berlins Pure Hate Trax. For this the 1st in the series they invite 3 new Artists to the label but by no means new to the scene in Codex Empire, Maedon & 7CIRCLE. Also making a welcome return after his debut on VHXX1 is STRISC. Codex Empire – Since 2014, British born, Vienna based Codex Empire has built an international reputation for dark and intense techno productions and live shows. Combining this background in dark electronic music with heavy rhythmic elements makes Codex Empire an intense and simultaneously danceable experience both live and on record. Codex Empire has performed over 100 live shows across Europe, Japan, Korea and Canada, as well as numerous appearances in Berlin at Berghain, Tresor, Arena Club, Suicide Circus and BoilerRoom. Maedon – A native of notoriously grimy Baltimore who spent some seasons in filthy Philadelphia learning the craft, her arrival in New York City circa 2018 signalled a shift in development, one confirmed by the emergence of her Maedon moniker and her partnership with Brooklyn/Berlin techno powerhouse Sonic Groove and its head Adam X. Fast forward three years to Berlin, two albums, a residency at Tresor and an entire world later, Maedon forges ahead to the next phase of a rapidly building career. Assuring her future as the world falls apart, Maedon’s bracing sound and undeniable skills are a story now unfolding, with its beginnings already written in grit.
7CIRCLE – At the helm of Destroy to Rebuild, 7CIRCLE is a musical project without boundaries. Drawing from post punk and metal roots, 7CIRCLE navigates across all genres including Techno and Industrial without compromise or frills. The journey through the discography of 7CIRCLE is a fascinating path filled with darkness and aggressive sounds which are sometimes embellished with a melancholy touch to satisfy lovers of strong emotions. STRISC. – Hailing from the East Midlands, UK and residing in Berlin for the last 8 years, STRISC. is an Artist, DJ & Label Owner who has been making waves due to a relentless output of no-compromise productions that have garnered him the respect and attention of Techno aficionados and peers alike.
- A1: Oriana Ikomo - Never Forget
- A2: Moodprint - Eartha
- A3: Kin Gajo - Exit, Gajo!
- A4: Adja - Told You So
- A5: Bodies - Brioche
- B1: Orson Claeys - Conversations
- B2: Bodem - Kleine Mars
- B3: Honey - Bossa Dolce
- C1: Azmari - Sheep Party
- C2: Le Ministère - De L'amour
- C3: Ciao Kennedy - Parcifal Pt. I
- D1: Echofarmer - Beginning Would Have Been Outside
- D2: Kassius - Escapism
- D3: Bruno X Soet X Moene - Ott
Vol. 1[22,27 €]
Vol.2 Black Vinyl[24,79 €]
Vol.2 Limted Red Vinyl[26,01 €]
Vol. 3 Transparent Violet Vinyl[27,52 €]
Standard version on 2LP black vinyl in gatefold sleeve. ‘Lefto presents Jazz Cats' is back with volume 3 and still doing what it does best: putting you in the front row of what the thriving Belgian jazz scene currently has to offer and revealing a melting pot of the musical talent.
'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' is back with volume 3 and still doing what it does best: putting you in the front row of what the thriving Belgian jazz scene currently has to offer and revealing a melting pot of the musical talent coming out one of the smallest countries in Europe. Never change a winning team they say, so we're happy to have Belgian DJ and eclectic connoisseur Lefto on board again.
Although you expect thecompilation to be talking jazz, volume 3 explores a broader array of styles, genres, and sounds than ever before, arriving at a point where the 'young cats' of today don't bother no more. It may focus on the Belgian scene, but let's face it, seeing the influences, this one could be compiled from all over the world. From the empowering and bittersweet voices of Oriana Ikomo and Adja, over the more acoustic-electronic productions of Moodprint, Ciao Kennedy, Kassius and echofarmer. It's even expanding the Jazz Cats universe to dub and bass-heavy tracks with Kin Gajo and Le Ministère, Ethio-jazz from Azmari, while sending you back to earth with bodies' swirling sax and drums. That saxophone still rings in your ears when you end up in the orbit of the march-like drums of Bodem, Orson Claeys' piano testing your ability to follow him, slamming the breaks to go smooth cruisin' with HONEY (Morricone meets Khruangbin, anyone?), to crashing in a raging tempo on that last track of Bruno x Soet x Moene. And there you are, back with us.
2018's 'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' included tracks from some of Belgium's biggest hitters, including Black Flower, STUFF. De Beren Gieren and Glass Museum who have all gone on to receive global acclaim. The album was given the accolade of 'Album of the Week' on Worldwide FM and also received further radio support from Jazz FM in addition to numerous glowing reviews. The 2022 follow-up 'Jazz Cats volume 2' paved the way for a new generation inspired by its peers, entering another era of very talented individuals and collectives. Maybe even more so than 4 years before. It uncovered a beautiful balance of more established but also obscure musicians and artists. Opening up to electronics and dance, enter bands like ECHT!, Stellar Legions and TUKAN. Thrilling innovative soundscape grooves and jazz fusion with Bandler Ching and L?p?GangGang, not to forget about the weaving musical odyssey that is M.CHUZI. In addition, there's the balanced unease of One Frame Movement, the laidback 'acoustic electronica' of Boombox Experiments, the classic funky jazz stylings of Cargo Mas and cinematic The Brums, all of these have set volume 2 on the map as an essential release for any jazzhead with a passion for new sounds.
Tastemaker, selector, curator, DJ and producer, these words often get mentioned when Lefto's name pops up in discussions. And rightly so. If you've ever had the pleasure to listen to one of his incredible Boiler Room sets or one of his many radio shows, you'll know why. Famed for his gloriously eclectic taste on the decks, he switches effortlessly between hip hop, funk, breaks, neck-snapping beats, future bass, South-American influences, bruk riddims, some wild African rhythms and of course, jazz.
Growing up as a child, his father would have the sounds of jazz flowing through the speakers. Which led him to bars around town to hear the latest jazz ensembles. Falling in love with the genre, he would later refine his knack for record digging and fine ear for music working at Belgium's legendary Music Mania record store in his hometown Brussels. Which makes that Lefto is consistently a couple steps ahead. He doesn't wait for the next thing to land in his lap, but actively seeking it out.
Lefto on Jazz Cats volume 3:
"Another release in less than two years! I am very impressed by the amount of creative "jazz" talent we've managed to compile over the last couple of years. Thanks to the internet, young musicians find inspiration from around the globe and incorporate diverse influences into their work. Given the history and heritage of jazz in this country, it has managed to create a healthy jazz scene supported by festivals, venues, press, and labels. Therefore, I am very proud to present to you the thirdinstallment of Jazz Cats. This compilation is dedicated to the young and hardworking musicians who are the present and the future of Belgium's jazz scene."
Warehouse Find!
The Black 80s make a long overdue return to Freerange following their 2014 release Move On (from which the Kollektiv Turmstrasse remix become something of an underground anthem). The duo hailing from Montreal and consisting of Hollis P Monroe and Overnite have been responsible for some seriously influential tracks over the years, not least Hollis' bonafide classic from 1997 - I'm Lonely. For The Rest is a slice of sultry, stripped back house heaven which drips with soul and will melt the hearts of all who hear it. The key to the tracks beauty is in the minimalism of the production keeping everything paired back to the bare bones and placing all the focus on Overnite's vocal which twists and mutates thanks to some clever use of FX. Who better to work their magic on the remix than German producer Show-B
who comes fresh off his incredible Jaap Ligthart Remix and Washint EP on his own Lossless label . Here he pushes the original through his sonic mangle, injecting steely atmospherics and layers of synths to forge a driving, muscular version which will sit perfectly amongst the sounds of Dixon, Mano et al and has already been getting early spins from Ame´. A second remix from Carlos Sanchez completes the package (on the digital
version) staying truer to the original vibe but adding delicate pads and whispering strings for some late night bliss.
Embarking on our musical journey with Wiremu, originally from New Zealand and now based in Leeds, we set sail with his EP, "The Subtle Hustle." Beyond a personal passion, Wiremu's dedication to music production serves as a tribute to his Maori heritage, infusing his compositions with profound cultural depth. "The Subtle Hustle," the opening track, forges a dynamic tone with deep bass, punchy percussion, and house-infused Rhodes chords. Minimal references and synthetic rips seamlessly fuse, creating a captivating dance track. "Beat-Up Town," the second track on the A side, is a dance floor blockbuster with bouncy bass, accompanied by an 808 kick drum. Keyboard work integrates chords into a dynamic groove, making it stand out among dance tracks. "Key Notes Frequency Quotes," opening the B side, introduces lead hi-hats contributing to a great dynamic. Vocal inserts layer over ripped synthesizer parts, creating a house vibe filled with energy and style. Closing the record, 'Have You Written On The Wall?' takes us on a journey through running percussion and minimalistic elements, skilfully compressing space and stretching time, accompanied by atmospheric backing.
Created by musician and multi-instrumentalist Jorge Queijo, Nelembe emerged with some drum rhythms recorded at random and stored on a hard drive. From them, and in the middle of the pandemic, Jorge Queijo built a musical concept that goes beyond borders and styles, embracing afrobeat and highlife, without forgetting soul, funk and jazz all of which in constant confrontation.
In addition to the rhythmic and sound issue, with several latitudes within it, afrobeat translates into a revolutionary and combative behavioral DNA of the fight for freedom and social justice. Daniel Belo's vocals and saxophonist João Cabrita's arrangements defined what the band came to call dirty afrobeat - a musical celebration where the only rule is the absence of rules, and the desire to be free that only music gives us.
Beltran and Harvy Valencia team up for their label debut on Hot Creations, unveiling a slick collaboration alongside solo cuts on their three-track ‘Origins’ EP.
Bursting onto the scene as standout talents, Brazilian Beltran and Colombian Harvy Valencia are quickly becoming globally recognised figures in their own right. With releases between them on esteemed labels such as Cuttin’ Headz, Solid Grooves, and Revival New York, the two now forge a new path as they unite for the first time on Hot Creations. Unleashing a trio of vibrant and impactful productions, headed up by their debut collaboration, the pair unveil a collection of cutting-edge sounds across their latest EP, 'Origins'.
Opening with playful bass grooves and crisp, organic drums, title cut ‘Origins (3AM Tusi Mix)’ welcomes a rolling masterclass from the duo. On the B-side, Beltran takes the lead with ‘Tira A Roupa (Putaria Mix)’, delivering punchy beats, funky riffs and crisp percussion, crafting a flawless laid-back groover. To close, Harvy Valencia delivers a powerful dancefloor experience with ‘Brut’, showcasing vibrant vocals, infectious beats and playful phone rings. showcases a deeper, sultry vibe with alluring male vocals at the core.




















