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LUXXURY’s luscious edit series is back for another round. What’s on the menu? Four classics like you’ve never heard them before, given that cosmic sprinkling of re-edit magic that turns the dial to hyperspace. Big basslines, looped up ecstasy, echoed out reverberations and reworked mastery. Essential!

If you’re in the middle of a soul searching effort, we’re more than willing to point you in the right direction! ReGrooved has taken it upon itself to rerelease an otherwise lost treasure called Dancin’ in the Flames of Love by Regina James. This record first saw the light of day back in 1978 and was never reissued on vinyl.

Not only was this album the only one ever released by the singer, it seems that security has claimed her ever since. Only three singles under her name have come forth, one standalone 7” called ‘Gee Wiz Boy – backed with ‘My Man Is Coming Home’ - followed by ‘Alfie/Dancin’ in the Name of Love’ in support of her album. After the Maxi-Single ‘My Love (Ain't Gonna Never Let You Get Away)’ – again using ‘Dancin’ in the Name of Love’ for the B-side – she has literally vanished from any and all charts.

Her legacy lives on, though. Apart from the obscurity that surrounds both the record and its performer, another important detail makes this disc an important collector’s item. For it seems that Regina James was a protégé of none other than legendary songwriter, producer and vocalist Clarence Reid, who actually became (in)famous through his controversial XXX- rated stage persona Blowfly!

Many of the songs on Dancin’ in the Name of Love were written by him – including the title track. Catchy soul, funk and disco rhythms are given an extra dimension by various synthetic sound effects and James’ sultry vocals. She often uses narration to introduce a track and ease the listener into the subsequent grooviness.

Enjoy this formerly lost treasure!

Albert’s Favourites co-founder Adam Scrimshire is set to release his fifth album 'Believers Vol. 1’, featuring guests And Is Phi, Bessi, K.O.G., Omar, Xana & Faye Houston, Penya, Stac and Tamar Osborn. The album draws from Scrimshire's passion for jazz, soul and electronic music of all styles; from energetic Afro-disco through lushly orchestrated neo-soul to harmonious jazz experiments.

'Anadwo' opens the album, a bright, Afro-disco inspired groove written with Ghanaian artist K.O.G., and is possibly Scrimshire's most extroverted track to date. Regular collaborator Stac and Brighton singer and producer Bessi sing on snappy neo-soul tracks ‘Where Are We’ and ‘Lost In Space And Time’ respectively. And Is Phi brings an eclectic mix of jazz, poetry and improvisation to ‘Chance Me’ while ‘Transformation’ stars acclaimed saxophonist Tamar Osborn. Genre-defying quartet Penya feature on global-jazz epic ‘Tanto Tiempo’ and the incomparable Omar joins with Xana and Faye Houston on album highlight ‘Love Is Loving’. Cosmic-jazz instrumental ‘Peaceless Peace’ closes out ‘Believers Vol. 1’, ending a bold and positive album filled with creativity and joy.

“Writing and producing my last album, ‘Listeners’, opened the floodgates for me. I’ve written more in the last 18 months than in years. Practicing for the live band levelled up my playing and opened up possibilities in writing I couldn’t find before. Since then I’ve written more than two albums worth of “Scrimshire” songs. But I really wanted to try and focus the experience and separate between music that represented the positivity and optimism I’ve experienced in recent years against my more introverted and angrier instincts.

‘Believers Vol.1’ represents warmth and hope. Everyone I worked with early in lockdown, seemed to want to express those longings for physical and emotional connection too. The whole album reaches out, I think it’s full of long embraces. But it is also, for me personally a love letter to black music and the black artists that shaped everything I care about sonically, from my very first memories of music until now. It draws from sounds I grew up around in the early to mid eighties, classic records from the seventies that I’ve never tired of, but important dance records from the late nineties and early 2000s that celebrated and subverted those ideas too.”

Scrimshire released his fourth album 'Listeners' in summer 2019, which was supported across BBC Radio 6 Music, including an Album of the Day feature, as well as by Jamz Supernova, Jamie Cullum's Radio 2 Jazz Show, Worldwide FM and Amazing Radio. His earlier albums ‘Bight’ (2013), ‘The Hollow’ (2011) and ‘Along Came The Devil One Night’ (2009) were released on the Wah Wah 45s label, where he’s also now a co-owner and director. He has continued to gain support for his successful “Scrimshire Edits” series and has produced and mixed records for artists including Stac, Daudi Matsiko, Bastien Keb, Ronin Arkestra and Jonny Drop. Albert’s Favourites was formed by Adam, Dave Koor, and Jonny Drop, who designed the logo and artwork, and has released records by Hector Plimmer, Ronin Arkestra, The Expansions, Huw Marc Bennett, and Jonny Drop.

Joel Holmes is a phenomenon that fits perfectly into the musical scenario of the next years. 35-year-old american jazz pianist and 4 times Grammy nominated. He was the musical director of Carl Craig’s Synthesizer ensemble as well as the keyboarder in legendary Grammy wining band of Roy Hargrove (the IT jazz artist from the late 1990ies, who later died.) Holmes is always hunting for the new, so he moved to Berlin a few years ago. Being interested in what’s happening in that new dance world. Similar to Jazzers from the 1970ies like Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones who turned into disco stars Joel, the jazzer wanted to connect with the new Berlin electronic scene. He succeeded, teamed up with upcoming London house kid Cody Currie and the Toy Tonics crew who is working on new sounds in Berlin that connect the organic and jazz musicians scene with the dance and house world. Developing a new style of Jazz-House… (that has nothing to do with sampled jazzy‘ house! If you know what we mean). Joel and Cody Currie released 2 EPs that had a good buzz mainly in the UK and USA. Big support from the Worldwide FM and BBC Radio world as well from tastemaker DJs such as Bradley Zero, Gilles Peterson and Masters at Work. While working on these EPs Joel created a kind of new jazz-dance universe around him in Berlin. He curates a bi-monthly jam session in an underground location where the crème de la crème of the international ex-pad -musician scene meet up. Joel became THE MAN to hang out when American musicians come to Berlin. Like when Erykah Badu was doing her Berlin gig in Berlin in 2019, after the show all the band moved to Joel’s place to have a legendary jam session. Yes, there is a lot of happening in the new Berlin Jazz meets Electronic scene. And Joel Holmes is in the center now. So it’s time for a Joel Holmes Solo EP.

As big fans of food here in Calypso, we asked Linja to provide us with the ideal dish to marinade his EP 'Iced Peaks'.

URAL DUMPLINGS is the choice by the Moscovite new member of the cult. It is one of his favorite local dishes and the ideal companion while listening to his cold modular master piece. To heat things up on the release we invited Brazilian papi Pigmaliao who delivered a hot electroish remix.

Always remember: Ural dumplings taste better with vodka in the company of a dear neighbour.

A tasty pair of chunky, beefed and dubbed up disco delights courtesy of the Cardiology label and every bit as likely to get the heart rate pumping as the name would suggest. The Owl's 'Groove Engine' steps up to the breach on the A-side, the slightly slower of the pair but blessed with a thumping framework of four-to- the-floor sturdiness on which funky keys and an almost Afro vibe are tastfully and decoratively hung. Flip track 'I'm Gonna' by C Da Afro is constructed from more archetypically traditional old skool disco ingredients, from the Sister Sledge-esque female vocals to the shooting, strings. There's a nice amount of dub behaviour via the desk, enough to elevate it into orbit but not so much that the song elements of the track are obscured. Nice work all round.

repressed !

180 gram vinyl 2xLP + free MP3 download code + booklet

Sharing with you the debut Album of Nice Girl titled “Ipsum”.
As a natural progression from her prior singles on Public Possession the music has a very capturing energy, although essentially machine music every single sound on the record seems connected with mother earth.
It’s rooted in the common ground that is home to all of us: the soil that nurtures flora & fauna, the air we breath, the water we drink, the sun & moon that shine upon our bodies.
One tribe, a million rituals, a common ground: The Dance (the Beat). Repetitive rhythms creating a sense of community & togetherness.

Brit Funk at it’s finest! Tony Simmons eye-wateringly expensive ’83 jam ‘I can’t let you go’ backed with Soul Shack’s cosmic masterpiece ‘Galactic Funk’ from 1980, reissued for a new generation.

Stepping up first ‘I can’t let you go’, slaps a smile on your face before you’ve even got 30 seconds in. Harnessing that raw, live instrumentation energy that made up so much of Brit Funk’s charm, a recipe for happiness via a killer drumbeat, heavyweight bassline, dazzling guitars and uplifting vocals. With originals trading hands for close to £200 this reissue will be welcome sight for many.

On the flip, a cosmic kaleidoscope in the form of Soul Shack’s ‘Galactic Funk’. Slap bass at boiling point, synth lines to tingle the spine and raucous chants to send your head to another dimension.

Two Brit Funk gems that you need in your life!

Basic Fingers returns!

Sameed brilliantly join the dots between dusty disco samples cut 'n paste frenzy and jackin' house on 'Old Songs'.

Don't let the name scare you though, these are timeless joints.
The jazzy interlude 'Quarterback' sets things off perfectly with its mellow strings followed by 'Join The Party', an uplifting slice of drivin' soul.
On the flip Sameed continues the roof-raising treatment with 'Horns N Tht', last but not least Sameed gives us a chi-town inspired track, 'Walkin', proper dirt...

For an understanding of the past, you have to look to the future – or was it the other way round? No matter how you want to put it, some things are an aesthetic choice, and the meaning of style does not necessarily go hand in hand with the latest fashion fad or an incurable retromania. Chinaski’s debut (album under that name) on Running Back seems predestined to resume these discussions. Drenched in sepia colors and faded VHS tapes memories, fed by a science-fiction that never became a fact, essentially made with the ultramodern instruments of yesteryear (see back cover for further reference) that became redundant through their own relatives and a need to ensure efficiency (time, space, money), it’s either concept art, an ode to Disco Piu, a post card from the early days of Frankfurt’s Dorian Gray or the search and itch for a time machine.

All of the debate above is rendered useless by the title though: No Pop, No Fun! And those are the main musical reference points here: instrumental pop that you can dance to, pastel melodies that stick with you and fun frequencies. Downtempo ballads for video game characters in love meet cabriolet anthems and scooter songs. Perfectly composed and carefully made.

If John Hughes would have ever aspired to make a high school movie set in a post-apocalyptic Italy: this is what the score would probably sound like.

Limited Edition Gold 2LP in Gatefold Sleeve. The ever shape-shifting, critically hailed Hercules and Love Affair return with ‘In Amber’, their first album in five years, out 17th June and featuring first single ‘Grace’ as well as collaborations with Anohni.

Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy presents Balearic Breakfast Volume 1. An eleven track compilation of gloriously transcendent genre-hopping music inspired by one of the most listened to shows on Worldwide FM; most tracks impossible to find on vinyl.

How does one make a Balearic Breakfast?

You need to obviously start with one part blissful sunshine, rising over one part white sand, set to the sound of the sea looping back and forth. But what else - that perfect, idyllic backdrop aside - sums up that most important time of the day, specifically when spent right in the heart of the most glorious archipelago in the western hemisphere?

Luckily, DJ, broadcaster and producer Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy has perfected the recipe.

Colleen has been mixing together Balearic Breakfast shows on Worldwide FM for the last few years after starting in earnest during the first pandemic lockdown. Her shows offer a remedy to the pressures of the outside world; each is curated with the admirable aim of trying to “create a musical atmosphere for escape”, be it from bad weather or bad vibes.

Inspired by formative experiences at The Loft in NYC and on the terrace at Space, Colleen’s Balearic Breakfasts are endlessly eclectic and always inspiring, pulling together - in her words - a “hodge-podge of chill out, spiritual jazz, deep soul, percussive house, quirky disco, indie-dance and what may ‘traditionally’ be called ‘balearic’ (whatever that may be).” Basically, the kind of music you want to hear as the sun breaks over the horizon.

For her first Balearic Breakfast album (lovingly compiled for the ever-visionary Heavenly Recordings), Colleen has put together a set of songs that allow the listener to drift with her between myriad genres and join the unseen dots between them. The journey takes in shooting star ambient sounds, deep soulful hypno-house, ecstatic Neu-esque locked grooves, ethereal sea-shore jazz and Southern Hemisphere starlight disco, with tracks by artists such as Friendly Fires, Mildlife, Linkwood and Lady Blackbird (a track praised by Elton John, who called it “a groove that blows my mind”) and producers such as Andrew Weatherall (under his Asphodells alias), Ashley Beedle, Coyote, the late, great Phil Asher and Cosmo herself.

Flowing together, the tracks perfectly create that musical atmosphere for escape - a recipe for daydreaming yourself into a Balearic Breakfast state of mind. Tune in and leave the everyday behind. The sun’s rising overhead and the waves are at your feet, whatever time of day it is wherever you might be in the world.

After 3 months holed up in the studio Blair French has emerged to bring you Genes/Space Conductor 7” in support of his forthcoming album The Art Of Us on Rocksteady Disco. The A-side holds the “Loose Fit” mix of “Genes”, where Blair channels his inner Tony Allen for an expertly executed modern psychedelic Afrobeat cut featuring a heavyweight cast of Detroit characters including Todd Modes, John Arnold, and Paul Randolph. On the flip is “Space Conductor”, a cosmic afro broken beat joint with heavy drums, a huge bassline, kora, and Blair’s vocals, exclusively available on this 7” only. Housed in a full color jacket, cut loud to lacquer, and pressed heavy with pride at Archer on Detroit’s east side.

Illegal Jazz Vol. 2 was a strictly limited edition and now finally 2.1 is ready to see the world!
4 Disco-Jazz-Funk from the 70ies reworked by Delfonic & Kapote.

Freerange Records are thrilled to announce the arrival of Crackazat's latest long-player, the scintillatingly soulful and jazz-enriched masterpiece, 'Evergreen'.

There can be few artists to have emerged in the last decade or so who've made a more indelible mark on the deep house universe than producer, Ben Jacobs, better known as Crackazat. The accomplished musician's effervescent productions routinely hit the sweet spot between elemental dancefloor fire and cerebral musicality – thanks to a propulsive sound combining influences of jazz, house, garage, funk, hip hop, Latin, neo-soul (and far beyond). While he's already forged an instantly recognisable sonic palette all of his own, new album 'Evergreen' represents his most accomplished work to date. Making his full vocal debut while introducing a new level of songwriting prowess to his long-established dancefloor credentials, this is the complete Crackazat.

Composed during – and undoubtedly informed by – these trying times, 'Evergreen' explores themes of adversity and gratitude, arriving as both a masterclass in contemplative songwriting and a celebration of musical influences. Elegantly bridging the gap between the soulful house underground and jazz-flecked crossover realms – inhabited by the likes of Jacob Collier, Thundercat, Tom Misch, and Jordan Rakei – the album echoes of a time where jazz-funk sensibilities and popular appeal were not mutually exclusive. Few artists boast the musical aptitude or creative vision to attempt such a bold fusion of styles, and thanks to its exceptional execution and irresistible appeal, 'Evergreen' is primed to introduce Crackazat's sound to an entirely new audience.

'Evergreen' is endowed with a distinctly live feel throughout, with virtuoso musicianship combined with carefully assembled song structures – elements so often missing in the dance canon. “It's the album I’ve always wanted to make” says Crackazat. Soul-heavy vocals – performed by Jacobs himself – are a cornerstone of the collection, with the power and soul of his delivery proving something of a revelation. “By far the hardest part was getting my vocals to a standard I was happy with,” he says. “So I was over the moon when Freerange responded to the first draft with two thumbs up and a big grin.” The album's arrival on benchmark UK deep house label Freerange feels like a particularly natural fit. When, in 2020, Crackazat started posting clips of himself singing alongside live bass and Rhodes, it quickly piqued the interest of the label's ever alert A&R team. “Crackazat really nails the sonic realm where crunchy house beats inspired by the likes of Masters At Work and Mood II Swing meet contemporary neo-soul and jazz-influenced rhythms,” says the imprint's co-founder, Jimpster. “There’s not many that can fuse the two so well and I get a sense that big things lie ahead for Ben. We're very proud to be able to release this brilliant LP on Freerange!”

Blending the purest forms of deep house with authentic jazz sensibilities, opening track 'Beacon Of Light' lays down a tantalising statement of intent – with its combination of live instrumentation, heartfelt vocal, club-ready beats and compelling arrangement offering a vivid introduction of what's to follow. Illustrating the pop-centric focus of the album, 'Everybody Talks About It' explodes with emotion – its searing vocal rising over shimmering pads and bass before building to a horn-filled crescendo, showcases Crackazat at his song-writing zenith.

The deep disco of 'I'm Easy' sees blissful chords glide over weighted bass as the vocal powers across the panorama, bursting with Quincy Jones-inspired horns above delicately woven keys and raw house drums. Nowhere are the album's meditations on hardship more vivid than on the modern jazz ballad 'Simple Things’, This compelling composition blends shades of Robert Glasper with futurist deep house to dramatic effect.

Fusing modal jazz with UK garage, we segue directly into the warm throes of an enraptured dancefloor via the irresistible bump of 'It's All Different', its soulful vocal embellishing a heavy club rhythm as the trumpet solo and Rhodes chords cascade across the horizon. Title-track 'Evergreen' opens with a sprightly jazz swing before dusty drums add body to the sophisticated instrumentation, presenting jazz and house as a single entity as the well-orchestrated wind instruments, keys and mallets dance over an improvised walking bass line. The distant vocal elevates the track into the stratosphere before the arrangement resolves, neatly leading us into the Collier-esque accapella and vintage jazz aesthetics of 'Cedencia', where signature vocal cadences ascend to celestial heights for an interlude that ushers in a departure from the futurist first-half of the album.

Arriving in the funk-infused second act, the salsa rhythms of 'True Power' intoxicate as they propel the Peven Everett-inspired vocal, with driving percussion skipping over live bass and keys before horns add tension to the groove, dissipating for a dub-heavy outro. The scattered, broken jazz of 'Save Something' finds Crackazat and his live band in full effect. Fiercely dynamic while intellectually riveting, the track incorporates Latin energy with understated cool to devastating effect.

Once again illustrating an unparalleled songwriting prowess, the Hancock-esque e-piano solos, slap bass and enthralling lead vocal of 'Nominee For Love' prove spellbinding as they combine, the sing-along chorus interplaying with buoyant horns for an unfettered celebration of life. Maintaining the celebratory sentiment, boogie-themed 'Thank You' arrives as an exuberant outpouring of gratitude, once again marked by breathtaking orchestration and a proudly positive aesthetic as loose-limbed piano solos and boogie bass cement the track's authentic Stevie meets MAW feel. Finally, the immaculate collection comes to a close with the self-nurturing intention of 'Good Enough', where sparkling chords, emotive synth solos and impassioned vocal merge for an emotional modern soul ballad.

'Evergreen' is nothing short of a triumph, exhibiting all the hallmarks of a future classic while propelling Crackazat into stratospheric artistic dimensions. Expertly fusing primal dance magnetism and jazz dexterity with a flawless production sheen, this remarkable album is destined to find its way into the playlists of a multitude of admirers while enhancing this exceptional artist's already glittering reputation.

George Smeddles kicks off his new South label with a pair of standout tracks backed by his own different remixes. The UK artist is someone who has had heavily-supported releases on some of the biggest labels worldwide, and has played all of the most vital underground clubs. He now steps out with a superb first offering on this exciting new label.

Opener 90s is a throwback tune with tight drums and rich bass. The kicks power it along while old school chords add the fun and colour. It also comes as a Smeddles Piano Mix which is even more uplifting and feel good with diva vocal stabs and yet bigger chords.

Malt Whiskey then slips into a deep but dynam ic house framework. Bulbous bass underpins the groove, and twisted synths and warm pads fresh it out. Smart vocals add some soul and ensure maximum response from the crowd. The LDN Dub Mix then pairs it back, making it a tech house kicker perfect for those back room spots.

This is a great foundation to what is sure to be a vital & exciting new label.