Hip-Hop News

Reissue number seven for Heels & Souls Recordings sees them look back to the sounds of South Africa’s townships in 1991, cherry picking four of Tashif Kente’s finest cuts from his sought after album A Boy And A Dream, giving them space to breathe on a 12" pressing.

Clearly influenced by the flavours bubbling over from the UK and US in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, from R&B through to boogie, proto house to new jack swing, Tashif’s productions are a melting pot of ideas and influences, laced with a distinctive South African flavour.

Born in Soweto, Mzwandile ‘Tashif’ Kente, cut his teeth with Harari for a brief period, a group that birthed greats like Condry Ziqubu, Sipho Mabuse and Alec Khaoli, before going solo in 1984 and releasing just one album as Tashif Kente, 1991’s ‘A Boy And A Dream’. An album that speaks of love, lust and longing, produced by Kente and Selwyn Shandel with Marc Rantseli also joining the fold, it has that signature South African synth bass, drum machine and killer keyboard combo of the Bubblegum and Kwaito scenes, topped with Kente’s buttery vocals.

Heels & Souls Recordings take four favourites from the LP and press them loud on either side of a 12”. On the A, the audacious new jack, dancefloor bubbler ‘Tell Him I Became Your Lover’ leads into the lovestruck, boogie-tinged grooves of ‘Somebody’s Got My Love’. Flip it over to find a jealousy jam of the highest order with the synthy soul number ‘Who’s That Boy’, before ‘I Like The Way You Love Me’, a lights down low, R&B flavoured lovesong rounds off the EP.

Licensed from Gallo, who transferred the original ¼ inch tapes for their archives, Heels & Souls have enlisted the expertise of Justin Drake to remaster these South African beauties for a new generation of listeners.

It is our distinct pleasure to present Penrose, a new imprint poised to usher in a whole new era of soulful sounds.

Founded by Daptone Records' own Bosco Mann after building a new recording studio in his hometown of Riverside, California, Penrose will showcase the most exciting acts emerging on the blossoming SoCal souldies scene today.

For its inaugural release, the label offers up five singles by five exciting new artists: Thee Sacred Souls from San Diego; Jason Joshua from Miami; East L.A. mainstays Thee Sinseers, and The Altons; and Altadena veterans, Los Yesterdays.

2024 repress

Funky Chicken brings together some of the best Belgian dance tracks from the early seventies. Emerged in a country where virtually every musical wave passes through, most of these tunes were created and recorded by hired guns, in this case a few clusters of gifted session musicians and composers. The music on Funky Chicken is their take on (afro-)funk, soul and Latin. Some of their releases were hit parade cannon fodder, but occasionaly, some spare studio time or the urgent need for a B-side allowed for memorable musical experiments.

Funky Chicken is a post-fact documentation, the result of a quest into a period on which information is few and far between, the 'black hole' in Belgium's history of popular music. The barren wasteland between the variety orchestras of the sixties and the electronic revolution of the late seventies and early eighties. This series explores the ground the dance pioneers built upon.

2LP gatefold with liner notes, 180gr vinyl. 'Funky Chimes' is a two-hour collection of excellent and unique grooves. It contains 27 of the most interesting yet long forgotten Belgian dance tracks from the seventies.

'Funky Chimes' is a two-hour collection of excellent and unique grooves. It contains 27 of the most interesting yet long forgotten Belgian dance tracks from the seventies, when a generation of extremely gifted and versatile musicians experimented with funk, jazz, latin and other grooves.
'Funky Chimes' is in many ways the logical follow up to 2014's highly acclaimed compilation 'Funky Chicken'. Uncovering a blind spot in Belgium's musical heritage and unearthing a diverse collection of hidden treasures. 'Funky Chicken' has induced a renewed interest in Belgium's rare grooves from the seventies, which until then had never been regarded a genre worth mentioning. Having said that, this second instalment is much more than just a fast sequel or a batch of leftovers. The music's quality matches that of its predecessor, but the treasure hunt was even more adventurous, and the stories behind some of the nuggets even more gripping.

Explore the fusion of world music with soul, funk and disco through the Rare Groove Collection. With this new volume 100% italian, discover rare gems from soundtracks of erotic and detective movies as well as more confidential music libraries. With Ennio Morricone, Goblin, Piero Piccioni, Guido e Maurizio De Angelis, Armando Trovajoli, Alessandro Alessandri, Toto Cutugno...

One of the most expensive records in the world. The only available copy on Discogs is a mere £4,000!

This was Willie Tee returning to his '60s anthem "Teasing You" but updating it with a beautiful 1972 New Orleans production turning it into a Modern Soul anthem. It's a work of sublime genius and the fully remastered 7" reissue will have replica artwork of the original Gatur label. You have just been spoilt, again.

This neat slice of mashup-Balearic from BJ Smith is a clever exercise in sample combination. First released in 2013 but reissued again here, we hear two iconic hip-hop tracks - Mos Def's 'Umi Says' and The Pharcyde's 'Runnin' - both laid to serene, lackadaisical Balearic backings. Thus two sunrise classics were born, complementing a very particular kind of rave.

A classic UK roots reggae outing, originally appearing on the Goldmaster label in 1998 and fast becoming a collector’s item.
This reissue by Partial Records includes two previously unreleased mixes, vocal and dub.
Featuring Southend On Sea–based Goldmaster All Stars, with the cream of the crop of hot-shot reggae musicians featuring female singer Christel, on her one and only release, who was only 14 years old at the time of this recording.

Westside Gunn was still an unknown emcee when Rude One traveled to Atlanta to record “Supreme Trunks” for his 2016 LP, ONEderful. Who knew that Gunn and his Griselda crew would come to run rap just a few years later. Listening back to “Supreme Trunks”, his rise seems inevitable.

"Supreme Trunks" is the 4th installment of the Closed Sessions 45 series, it is limited to 400 copies, and contains new artwork designed by Spectacular Diagnostics.

LIMITED TO 4500 HAND-NUMBERED COPIES WITH DIE-CUT PACKAGING.

ARTWORK IS BY COLONEL TONY MOORE - CO-CREATOR AND ARTIST OF THE WALKING DEAD COMIC BOOKS.

* Top notch slice of roots and dub from reggae legend Earl Sixteen, best known for his work with the likes of Lee Perry, Augustus Pablo, Mikey Dread, Leftfield and Dreadzone.

* Earl revisits and updates a track from earlier in his career, featuring two vocal cuts, one dub version and a drum-led nyahbinghi style instrumental workout.

* Production and mixing duties come from the long-established Cultural Warriors crew.

The 8-track LP "Lexplosion II" provides fire power for the dancefloor with DJ-friendly, extended rhythm tracks. This is the third album by the flagship of Estonian boogie, disco and funk - Lexsoul Dancemachine. The 6-piece groove band took a fresh approach here, drawing inspiration from house and nu jazz. LSDM débuted with the street-funk LP "Deus Lex Machina" (2015), followed by the latin-jazz, disco LP "Sunny Holiday in Lexico" (2018). From these "Beef Grinder" and "Coconuts" have given the crew continual radio love from BBC and stations all over Europe. Evident from their UK-tour, Pori Jazz and Imagina Funk live shows, there's also no question that LSDM is a superb live band. Now, the essence of the Dancemachine has been captured on tape better than ever on "Lexplosion II" - a Solid Gold Sound Production recording.

First time ever, Lexsoul Dancemachine invites international guests: the rubber-wristed guitar icon Cory Wong from US, and the Brazilian percussion maestro Luiz Black who's toured with James Brown and worked with the likes of Tim Maia, Joao Donato and Nicole Willis. "Carambola Jelly" has gotten the most love from DJs; "Nu Reality" has received multiple plays on BBC 6 and other singles "Entertainment" and "Money (feat. Cory Wong)" are getting regular airplay all over Europe.

The record is out via Funk Embassy Records on vinyl and CD, and includes originally painted artwork by Estookin. She took on the task to paint multiple portraits of each band member and visualize the volcano you see on the 180g vinyl cover. The cardboard jakebox CD includes a poster, and is also graced by her painting that draws from the '80s photorealistic movie art. It opens up to form a 3D volcano!

"Offworld"is back after 20 years with a new album called "The Guru Walk" on Tasty Treats Records. This release is a real walk into Offworld music experiences where from the first track to the last one, he works to create a collection of electronic jazz tracks with different
influences and moods. A side contains three EDM tracks including the title track "The Guru Walk" that is a real midtempo gem with deep chords,light percussion section and warm ambient pads. On the other side there are the longplay "tought vision" and the acid jazz influenced track "Ruzena". C side contains the hypnotic track
"Lagos 3000" with afro influences,warm organ and synths and deep pad. The soulful "Siofra's Star" complete this side with broken vibes and melodies. On D side there are the deep and warm "Wahpanio" that is a dancefloor oriented track with latin influences and last but not least "Holy Portal" a jazzdance track with a groovy and powerful bassline,breakdrum and soulful chords.

Smoove & Turrell return to the fold with their seventh studio album, once again showcasing their commitment to creating quality songs, with meaningful lyrics shining through in every single one. The album's title pays tribute to Ellen Wilkinson, an influential UK politician who championed social justice, and reflects their socially conscious stance and northern roots. Lead singer John Turrell articulates their vision, urging love to reclaim its place amidst a world filled with turmoil and deception, over Smoove's masterful productions laid down with the assistance of their seasoned band members (every single one of whom is quality both live and recorded). Further collaborations with the likes of Ronnie Foster, a legend from the Blue Note camp to label mate Izo FitzRoy and her choir, adds depth to an album that addresses various themes, including unity, hope, relationships, and heartfelt tributes to departed family members. An inspiring listen for those looking to stand up for good ...

Produziert von Kelly Finnigan (The Monophonics) präsentieren The Sextones aus der Hochwüste Nevadas ihr neues Werk. Anspruchsvoll, höflich und meisterhaft komponiert ist 'Love Can't Be Borrowed' eine klangliche Liebeserklärung an den Soul der späten 60er und frühen 70er, eine Hommage an die Giganten des Genres, eine Verbeugung vor seinen unbesungenen Helden, mit authentischem Sound und historischer Wertschätzung. Inspiriert von Künstlern wie The Moments, Baby Huey, The Delfonics und insbesondere Curtis Mayfield klingt daie LP wie das Öffnen einer Zeitkapsel aus der goldenen Ära des amerikanischen Souls.

Boogie and funk don Tim Tucker hails from Northern Cali and is half of the Love Cryme duo. He has been digging in his vaults to offer up two songs for this limited new vinyl release on Trusechool and they have both been reworked by Knoe1. First up is the brilliantly blissed-out boogie and retro synth work of 'U Cant Run' complete with a sultry vocal that soon gets under the skin. 'Disco Lights' (Knoe1 rework) then keeps it deep and smoochy with jumbled disco percussion and noodling jazz chords all topped off with some superb synth work. Two real gems here, then, on a mad-limited 7".

From Lova Lova to Skand, ska and Roots, the al;sbum is a pure jewel of an autoprod / Autodistro !

Support da Sound System culture ! Support its roots !

One In A Million is the second studio album by Aaliyah. First released in 1996 by Blackground Records, the album features production from a variety of producers including Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Carl-So-Lowe, J. Dibbs, Jermaine Dupri, Kay Gee, Vincent Herbert, Rodney Jenkins, Craig King, Darren Lighty and Darryl Simmons. With countless accolades, One In A Million remains as one of the most influential albums in Hip-Hop & R&B and proved to be a major breakthrough in Aaliyah's career. Welcome to the new world of funk.

The four horsemen are the rhythm section of The 18th Parallel riding down the plains to the sound of an heavyweight stepper inspired by the late 70s playing of the Revolutionaries at Channel One. Slow, refined and powerful, the interaction of the drums, bass and organ leaves room to an otherworldly horns chant calling everyone to dance and sing along. Probably one of Fruits Records heaviest release ever!

The first 7“ of this series features Spanish based UK singer Benjammin known for his superb work with Roberto Sánchez. He chants down all ‘Warmongers’. His singing style reminiscent of BurningSpear’s greatest days sends shivers down your spine! Dub by Roberto Sánchez on the flip.

Bobby Caldwell's second album, Cat In The Hat, from 1980, is one of his greatest moments and another masterwork of soulful sophistication. Featuring the eternal "Open Your Eyes", brilliantly sampled by J Dilla for Common's "The Light", it's about as essential as records get. Like its eponymous predecessor, it's been out of print for far too long. To finally release the hugely-anticipated reissue is one of our sincerely proudest moments.

Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.

Right from the off, it's easy to tell that Cat In The Hat is a deeply special record. It's fantastically produced and incredibly well-rounded, carving its own lane with deep soul, warm jazz and a stunning vocal delivery that really helped Bobby reach out to some big new audiences at the time. Goosebumps at the ready for the rolling power-piano funk of "Coming Down From Love", opening up the album with a track as good as anything Steely Dan or The Doobies ever crafted, with a vocal performance from the heavens. Pumping AOR wonder "Wrong Or Right" is up there with the slick, classy rhythms of prime Ned Doheny whilst the cool, skipping soul of guitar-drenched "To Know What You've Got" is a funky ballad par excellence, with elemental traces of "What A Fool Believes". No bad thing. Closing out Side A, the folk-funk of "You Promised Me" is a bright, soulful strut with a wonderful vocal coda that just builds. Sensational.

The delicate bounce and falsetto self-harmonising of "It's Over" offers a truly delightful introduction to Side B, and serves as a great precursor to what follows. Bobby's dynamite "Open Your Eyes" is likely the reason you're all here. As if he needed it, the eternal J Dilla further immortalised Caldwell in the hip-hop canon with his production of Common’s epochal “The Light,” which heavily samples the magical “Open Your Eyes.” On a post paying tribute to Bobby in March 2023, Questlove claimed that he "got word Brother Bobby loved it". Bobby's original has seen new life even more recently from the likes of Dwele and Kendrick Lamar and deservingly so, as its insistent drums and staccato piano created a modern-soul classic. You'd think that would be hard to follow, wouldn't you? Not so, when you're Bobby Caldwell. Indeed, the horn-drenched stepper "Mother Of Creation" is absolutely ace, and, whisper it, possibly the album's finest track, all funky piano and guitars with horn lines to die for. Exquisite ballad "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love" rounds out the album beautifully.

Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of Cat In The Hat will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable talent - and soul music enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland.

The lights are low and the champagne is on ice.

Welcome to the mysterious parallel universe of David Fostex and a stellar cast of Yacht Rock legends, supervised by Shawn "Silver Fox" Lee.

Tom Zé and Faust collide in Domenico Lancellotti's "machine samba"

Domenico Lancellotti's SRAMBA reaches back to the roots of samba whilst completely revamping its blueprint, indoctrinating guitar and percussion-led rhythms with analogue synthesisers, courtesy of album producer Ricardo Dias Gomes.

The majority of SRAMBA was recorded over two months in The Cave - Domenico's home studio in Lisbon, the city both Brazilian ex-pats reside in, where the arrival of a couple of Russian-designed synths purchased by Ricardo influenced the direction of their initial experimentation: "Ricardo had these instruments, modular machines" remembers Domenico, "and I had my guitar, some percussion instruments. On the first day we started making sounds and recording them, and songs started to appear, sambas started to appear."

The son of a renowned samba songwriter, at home Domenico would watch his father play and compose. At parties, the adults would hand his father a tamborim (a small tambourine) and ask him to play along. "I grew up inside samba, it's my roots", he says. "For me, everything is samba, I bring it into whatever style of music I am making".

Domenico and Ricardo instantly saw how the synthesisers were not at odds with the sambas they were playing, instead they had a similar sound to its typical percussion instruments (ganza, repinique, surdo, tarol). What's more, they saw a connection with roots samba, the samba that existed before bossa nova and samba jazz came along. This was rhythmic samba, with grooves that could go on ad infinitum. "It's samba de clave, geometrically structured" says Domenico. "It's ostinato samba", adds Ricardo.

"Diga" is a great example of what their proposal is capable of, as what begins as a glitchy machine whirring into action soon turns into a glorious samba in which the gurgles and scratchy beats coming from the analogue equipment only add to the arrangement. Likewise, on "Tá Brabo" it's an aching melody from one of the synths that gives the guitar rhythm its needed counterpoint, and shows how the duo's greatest accomplishment is not in invention alone, but in creating a great samba album. It's an album that can go from the opening track "Ere" with its reverberant bass thud, mantra-like vocals and staccato rhythms to the string-accompanied "Nada Sera de Outra Maneira", a swooning samba that pays tribute to the Brazilian ensemble Tamba Trio, who along with Tom Zé's Estudando O Samba, Domenico names as the biggest influence on their treatment of samba.

Other important reference points are made clear on "Um Abraço No Faust". One of three instrumentals on the album its title riffs off a JoãoGilberto song, "Um Abraço no Bonfá", but whereas JoãoGilberto was giving a hug (um abraço) to bossa nova guitarist Luiz Bonfá, Domenico and Ricardo are giving theirs to the German avant-gardists Faust. "Quem Samba", with its horn section and dramatic melody give a whiff of Domenico's Italian ancestry, while "Descomunal" is devoid of rhythm whatsoever, guest vocalist Tori singing over a bed of electronic drums, cello and swirling synths, that highlights the duo's unwillingness to stick to a particular formula.

Both Domenico Lancellotti and Ricardo Dias Gomes are revered names within Brazilian music over the past 20 years. As a member of the +2's, with Moreno Veloso and Kassin, Domenico released a trio of albums on Luaka Bop in the early 00s that pioneered a new Rio samba sound with elements of funk and psychedelia. With Veloso and Kassin he would later form Orquestra Imperial, a big band intent on reviving ballroom (gafieira) samba, and that has worked with guest vocalists such as Seu Jorge, Elza Soares and Ed Motta. SRAMBA is his fourth solo album. Multi-instrumentalist Ricardo Dias Gomes first came to notice as a member of Caetano Veloso's band Cê which helped reinvigorate Caetano's career with a sound influenced by British new wave. As well as collaborations with Lucas Santtana, Negro Leo and Thiago Nassif, and work with his own group Do Amor, he has released a series of acclaimed solo albums that reveal a restless music-maker.

SRAMBA is a glorious showcase of the duo's style, uniting Domenico's playful lyrics and rhythmic, samba-rooted songs with with Ricardo's assured accompaniment of unorthodox textures and instrumentations. It may be a new language for samba, machine samba (samba de máquina), but as Domenico says, "samba da máquina is samba".

On the eve of her 80th birthday, Dona Onete - ‘the grande dame of Amazonian song’ - returns with Rebujo, a love letter to her hometown of Belém, situated deep in the Amazon.

Rebujo brims with two music styles born in Belém: carimbós, influenced by African grooves, and bangues, a ska-type rhythm, plus there’s a cumbia, brega (‘romantic’ music) and samba.

Since the release of her 2017 album Banzeiro, Onete has become a superstar in Brazil – she composed and sung the theme song for one of Brazil’s biggest soap operas (A Força do Querer), been awarded the Brazilian Ordem do Mérito Cultural in recognition for her contribution to Brazilian culture + her video for ‘No Meio do Pitiu’ has an impressive 9.2m views on Youtube.

Outside of Brazil she’s performed at Roskilde, Womad (UK, NZ & AUS), Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival and TFF Rudolstadt and is a global spokesperson for indigenous cultures.

- 3rd album of funky Brazilian/Amazonian grooves from the ‘Diva of the Amazon’, mastered @ The Carvery
- David Byrne, Caetano Veloso, Gilles Peterson, Cerys Matthews all big supporters

Careening from the Black Sublime of Dadawah to the, er, Foxy Brown of Jennifer Hylton, Dug Out lets off this early~nineties r'n'b~spiced piledriver, recorded by Lloyd Pickout Dennis at Dynamic, with the Firehouse Crew - George programming drums, Danny the bass, and Wrong Move the other keys

Major Keys return with another jazz funk gem that has never before been released on a 12 inch. We go back to 1977 for one of the era defining albums, Gary Bartz magnificent Music is My Sanctuary. The title track from the double Grammy award winning saxophonist’s LP is an evergreen floor filler, finally seeing it’s long overdue 12 inch debut; a remastered, high volume DJ’s delight. Featuring Syreeta Wright on vocals, Bill Summers & James Mtume on percussion with arrangement by the one and only Larry Mizell, we have an assembled players list at the top of their game. The lyrics, joyful and heartfelt sum up exactly what music means to people, all underpinned by that glorious sax. One for the Heads and the feet, it’s a record that you will go back to time and again.

On the flip is the lesser known Carnaval De L'Esprit, a masterclass in jazz funk, this truly is the sunshine sound. It will lighten the weariest of souls and signals Major Keys as a buy on sight label.

Rare late 80s reggae/dancehall heat coming yet again on DINTE sub-label 333. This time it's the turn of Hugh Maddo's Pop Style LP. Recorded in Jamaica at Byron Lee's Dynamics & Herman Chin-Loy's Aquarius studios for the Bronx-based Jamaazima label in 1987, it is issued here under license from co-producer and label owner, Nami Harmon. The record features a host of celebrated and renowned musicians incl. Winston Wright, Bobby Ellis, Carlton "Santa" Davis, Dwight Pinkney, Willie Lindo and Mikey "Boo" Richards amongst many others - alongside the sublime vocals of Killamanjaro's Hugh Maddo aka UU Madoo. A must.

The series third 7” presents Geneva based singer Jah Bast. ‘Far I Love’ is a chant to the Most High. The riddim and mix get as dread and terrible as Jah Bast message of love gets powerful. Version of the B side for all DJ to mash up the riddim inna dance!

"Creation" is the debut album by British songwriter, singer & pianist James Sayer and includes the three singles "Living It Up", "Chemistry" and Cherry".

After spending many years playing for others, Sayer says that "writing my own music happened completely by accident. But I'm so glad I recorded that one demo which ultimately spurred me on to create a full album all this time later." Sayer, often called an old soul due to his love of classic song writing and bygone eras comments that although technology has changed the landscape of the musical world today, making a record organically was still a must for him.

Originally from Birmingham, Sayer's fascination and love of music began at a very young age when he learnt all thing rhythm & blues and rock'n'roll from his dad's music collection of artists such as Elton John or Jerry Lee Lewis, later also finding a love of soul artists such as Michael McDonald, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison and Earth, Wind and Fire. Sayer moved to London in 2012 where he began performing almost every night in piano bars, clubs and pubs; spotted by the likes of Tom Jones whilst holding down a residency at the world-famous American Bar at the Savoy hotel.

About recording "Creation" he says: "I've tried to capture all the styles I love - Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Gospel and classic pop music – but still create a sound that is all mine".

Originally put on the map by Brian From Wheaton, a passionate collector from IL - This record has been fetching upwards of £1000 from those crazy Northern Soul DJs.

Officially licensed and re-mastered. Essential modern soul dancer, now available for the world to enjoy.

This record follows on from the string of mid~eighties hits for Firehouse, Jammy's, Ujama and co, for which Dennis Thomas aka King Kong is most celebrated.
Originally released in 1988 as a tribute to his friend Tenor Saw, killed that year in suspicious circumstances in Houston, Texas, at the age of twenty~two, it came as a twelve~inch on Thomas' own Concious Music label (then re~locating from Canada to London), and as a seven (without Try Not I) on Jah All Mighty in New York.For sure this is the great dancehall singer at his most powerful. His grieving, heartfelt vocal is woven through with the haunted quotation of Saw's finest moments.
Both vocals come with dubs, and the rhythm is driving, hard and sombre, with nervous, grubbing synths and ringing claps, and a lethal bass~line.

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of 'Perfections', Koralle's new EP, now available on Little Beat More!

Koralle, aKa Lorenzo Nada, musician, beatmaker and producer, formerly an underground legend under the moniker Godblesscomputers, returns to put his 'hands in the dough' a few months after the release of his third album 'Insomnia', fusing jazz vibes with the elements that characterise the deep roots of hip-hop in four stylish pearls that capture body and soul in an increasingly intimate dimension.

Listening begins with the EP's title track, "Perfections," a perfect chill awakening, accompanied by fleeting piano notes and a bass drum and snare rhythm in the tradition of the beatmaking masters.
The second track, "Leaf," hints at melancholic and mysterious nostalgic undertones, to be followed by the single "From the Heart," which features the extraordinary participation of Brooklyn lyricist Awon, a mainstay of American jazzrap, who fits in perfectly with Koralle's eclectic sound world.
Finally, the fourth track, 'Come Back to Me Baby,' is a homage to the blues and black music roots of the 1950s, an invitation to rewind the tape and listen to the album all over again.

The EP is enriched by the art of Bernardo "Beerbo" Raspanti: a brightly coloured and variegated coral that tells of the different influences that come together in the artist's work and of a profound and engaging musical experience that will enchant connoisseurs and fans of the noble art of beatmaking.

Numero's second bundle of cover 45s is all things soulful. The Rotterdam-based Another Taste electrifies Maxx Traxx's 1984 Chicago boogie grail "Don't Touch It," which makes its debut on the 7" format here. Colemine Records' Say She She delivers a glamorous rendition of Jim Spencer's yacht-disco hit "Wrap Myself Up In Your Love." Columbia Recording artist Leon Bridges effortlessly transforms Pastor T.L. Barrett's "Like A Ship," updating the 50 year old gospel soul classic for the 21st century. All three are housed in a newly imagined Numero custom sleeve, reflecting the many shades of our ongoing Eccentric Soul 45 imprint.

repress

Timmion / Brilliant soul from the Detroit underground of the late 60s, a full set of work by vocalist Little Ann, issued here for the first time ever! trapped on tape for many years, always contemplated as a possible Little Ann album.

Raw, stripped, auratic, Black Ark funk — the Final Weapon rhythm as Zen tutelage, no doubt inspired by Niney, with signature cowbell, scrubby guitar, bass bubbling in the pocket, The Upsetter mixing on the spot.

Adrian Sherwood revisited the song with Ari Up — but here is the hortical piece.

Recorded during the tour following their debut LP Burn'IN, prolific French quartet NCY Milky Band present their second album of hybrid jazz, inviting us in a cinematic, melodic and poignant universe.

These 14 tracks, including two collaborations with Detroit rapper Quelle Chris and French producer FLUPKE, reflect sonic photographs of everyday moments with a psychedelic sound that pushes jazz out of its comfort zone.

Popsicles 1983 funk grail, 'Little Rocker' mixed from the original multitrack for extended 12" playback with mixes from boogie maestro Sean P. and DJ/production virtuoso GE-OLOGY. More info soon.

TWO ABSOLUTE KILLER TRACKS FROM THE MAJESTIC PRINCE ALLA. ESSENTIAL STUFF.

Roberta has been hard at work the last few years establishing her style of deep, smokey house music across a number of prominent labels as well as her own Night Moves imprint. On her newest release, however, she gives us a little taste of some of the other sounds that are dear to her. Enlisting singer Fawziyya Heart to help, Roberta whips up an intoxicating mixture of uptempo neo-soul and broken beats that is sure to work the dancefloor as well as your emotions.

Driven by snappy drums and thick Rhodes chords, the beat on “Take Our Time” acts as the perfect bed for Fawziyya’s lyrics, calling for patience to prove that their relationship is right. On the flip Roberta dubs the track out, letting the sultry keyboard chords take the lead while the bass and drums twist into a rhythm that will have everybody winding their waists in the dance. This is another killer single from the Night Moves boss that will be sure to please her fanbase while also spreading her sound to a new audience.

Repress!

The great slim smith’s last single release before he sadly passed. the soulful ‘the time has come’, alongside slim smith’s classic ‘it’s alright’…

First Word Records in collaboration with Heavenly Sweetness proudly bring you a 'Beautiful' new album from the formidably funky French duo, Souleance.

So the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or perhaps in this case, the ear!). How we define beauty varies from person to person. Be it a meal, a landscape, a picture, a record… Appreciating and admiring beauty could be considered an art in itself, and one that Souleance have made a rule of life. This ethic is transposed into their own craft, used as fuel to turn beautiful moments into music.

This 15-track album seeks to convey this through an assortment of sun-saturated grooves of different shapes and sizes. While remaining true to their style of creating cut & paste sound collages and incorporating dusty samples, this album seeks to expand upon their own sonic path. Fulgeance lays down masterful work on keys, beats and bass, with Soulist the driving force behind song composition and percussive scratching. Comb...

'Give Me The Strength To Be Me' is the exclusive single for Lovemonk by Soulnaturals, featuring London singer Chalibrann. This stunning track fuses all the power and beauty of gospel and soul music with exquisite arrangements that take Soulnaturals to spiritual heights, akin to contemporary artists such as Michael Kiwanuka and Sault.

Soulnaturals is the London-based project of songwriter, producer and band leader Tony Cannam, who collaborates with outstanding guest singers and musicians on high-quality soul/R&B music which has received rave reviews from Blues & Soul, Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, Jazz FM, Andy Peebles at Smooth FM, Solar Radio, Clash Magazine and London Live TV, among others. Cannam is influenced by the rich heritage of 60s and 70s US soul/funk artists and arrangers such as Norman Whitfield, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones.

Soulnaturals released their debut album, "Love Says Yes!", in 2017 as part of Record Store Day, receiving strong critical acclaim and a nod as contender for album of the year from UK Vibe. Their second album, "Parlo Discoteca", came out in October 2023 on their own label, British Soul Standard.

A limited edition 7” release by TARIKA BLUE, this outstanding band release two LPs back in 1976 and 77 on the famous Chiriucuro, label. DYNAMITE CUTS give you a super fresh loud 45 cuts.

Track A1 – “Dream flower” –Djs favorite, This wonderful mellow jazz class. Taken from the mega Rare self title LP “Tarika blue”. Sampled by many hip hop artist, most famous J Dilla for the Erykah Badu “Didn’t cha know”. Heavy jazz bass line.

Track B2 – “Jimi” this is an outstanding guitars solo monster. Similar too Maggot brain by Funkadelic, HEAVY Guitars with pure emotion and feeling “JIMI” features James mason & Ryo Kawasaki on the solo guitars

Introducing a super charged split LP featuring the talents of Cameron Stallones aka Sun Araw and Spencer Clark’s duo with Jan Andersen, Tarzana.
What originally started as an Aquapelago inspired residency in the summer of 2021 quickly developed into its own thing. Truth be told, both artists always surfed their own personal waves of musical freedom, so Aquapelagos Vol.2 album became AQUA X, a split offshoot work featuring rehashed Tarzana compositions on one side and a live presentation form Cameron’s residency in the island of Tenerife around Keroxen festival’s 13th Edition. With two artists very dear to us this split LP picks up perfectly on the aquapelagic concept and twists inside out into worlds high and below creating a further testament to both’s artists oeuvres. Here’s an extract of Professor Haywards original liner notes regarding the music:
‘’The tracks on this album reflect the geo-cultural position of Californian-based musicians, Cameron Stallones, (who records here under the Sun Araw moniker), and Spencer Clark and Jan Andersen’s (performing as Tarzana) with oceanic atmospheres and structures of feeling.
Sun Araw’s dedication to producing subtle, flowing, psychotropic compositions can be read as an attunement to the oceanic sublime. Recorded within the disused Keroxen tank in Santa Cruz harbour in Tenerife, The Canary Suite is an extended piece that features a mix of electronic pulses, short synthesizer fragments and distorted guitar bursts. The textures are relatively sparse throughout, with a linear emotional contour sustained by an ongoing melodic play within a defined band of possibilities before settling into a calmer, soothing and floating mood, like an aural floatation tank.
Tarzana’s tracks artfully blend simple synthesizer tones, vocal exhortations, and an assortment of treated instrument sounds to create a pulsing, wandering and restless music. Short rhythmic ostinato fragments push and pull against bold blown pipes and horns while subtle darker colours and shades intermittently move through the soundscape to intensify the mood. This is busy and dense music but with an orderly flow and internal sense of motion that sweeps up the listener in its wake, like a sailing ship propelled through tropical seas.’’

Dynamite Cuts are proud to be able to release this classic afro jazz vibe groove. Sampled back in the day by The Jungle Brothers. This track is Originally 10 minutes long; we have now edited it down to a brilliant 4 minutes, for this exclusive vinyl release. The entrancing, hypnotic saxophone and vocals fill your ears with an uplifting energy of Jazz.
“Sensational”

The second 7” introduces to the world The Mighty Gravillons, an obscure vocal trio bringing us right back to the golden days of roots reggae. With powerful and thought-provoking lyrics, ‘Crumbling World’ is a desperate cry to the world we’re building for the next generations. How can we leave such a world of wars, political conflicts and environmental crisis to our kids? The B side shines by it’s simplicity: The 18th Parallel invited one of their favourite musicians of today’s reggae scene to blow his spellbinding saxophone, Anant Pradhan. The legacy of Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso or Cedric Brooks has found its worthy embodiment. New York saxophonist graces us with ‘Peace Treaty’.

Record Kicks presents Keep It To Yourself, the new album by premier Dutch soul band The Tibbs, out next January 26th.

Dutch vintage soul combo The Tibbs are back with their highly anticipated new album Keep It to Yourself, to be released on LP, CD and digital format next January 26th on Milan-based label Record Kicks. Produced by Paul Willemsen (Michelle David) and mastered in Nashville by soul veteran Bob Olhsson, who used to cut vinyl for Motown back in the day, the new album Keep It to Yourself is the band's third Long Play. It contains 12 fresh 'n vibrant tracks that once again will take you back to the golden days of soul music. Prepare to be swept away on a groovy, soulful odyssey with one the most sensational and enchanting soul bands from the Netherlands!

From the very first note, The Tibbs' musical prowess exudes a soulful, funky energy that is nothing short of mind-blowing. Among the 12 new tracks of Keep it To Yourself, we find the first single "Ain't It Funny", a high-energy stomper that sets the tone for the entire album, the New Orleans funk inspired "Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks" and "Chicken Bones, "In Orbit", an emotional and heartfelt love ballad that allows the velvety vocals of singer Roxanne to take center stage or the northern soul belter "Give Me A Reason".

Lyrically, Keep It to Yourself is a poetic wonderland, delving into the depths of love, heartache, but also social issues and the need to preserve the world we're in. Roxanne's vocals, rich and velvety, take you on a euphoric journey through the peaks and valleys of human emotion. The harmonious blend of the horn section weaves an exhilarating tapestry of sound that can only be described as a symphonic supernova. The rhythm section is an unstoppable force, driving each track with a pulsating groove that is pure sonic adrenaline. Keep It to Yourself is a true tour de force, a symphony of soul that will leave you awe-inspired, foot-tapping, heart-soaring, and utterly enthralled.

Based around Amsterdam, The Tibbs is a group of seasoned musicians who draw inspiration from the timeless music of the 1960s, channeling the emotional depth and raw authenticity of that era's classics. Led by their charismatic female vocalist and backed by a powerhouse lineup of drums, guitar, bass, organ and a three-piece horn section, they have been wowing audiences with their live performances. They took off in 2012 working right from the start with producer Paul Willemsen (Beans & Fatback, Lefties Soul Connection, Michelle David & The Gospel Sessions). In 2016, their first LP Takin' Over marked their debut with Milan-based imprint Record Kicks. In late 2018, singer Elsa Bekman decided to focus on a solo career and The Tibbs duly began their search for a truly worthy successor, bringing astonishing vocalist Roxanne Hartog and the band together for the first time with their sophomore album Another Shot Fired, released in November 2020. Now, with their third album Keep It to Yourself, a testament to their dedication to keeping the soulful spirit alive, The Tibbs are once more ready for lift off.

Labrish’ is one of jamaica’s great talkover tunes, producers bunny lee and lee perry discussing hard times and funny stories over a great rhythm. the flipside is another cut to the rhythm by cornell campbell & the original b-side to the single on it’s release ‘power pressure’.

“A one-of-a-kind, head-on, 1988 mashing of harder-than-hard-core dancehall and ultra-raw Detroit techno. Utterly inspired, gale-force ranting pon a flashin’ TR-909.

With this new project, their fourth full-length work, Tupperwear completely departs from the "stylish" electronics and trends to delve into a profound exploration of the fundamentals of music.
It involves a quest or even a game through the extrapolation of geometry into various musical parameters, encompassing classical aspects like pitch, timbre, rhythm, intensity, etc., as well as noise, textures, or the implicit mathematics in natural or irrational elements.
Pentagonono delves into cosmology and nature. It is a musical approach without prejudices to basic numerology that unveils the universe, the harmonic scale, the number e, and logarithmic spirals. The golden ratio (phi) and the omnipresent number pi are also explored. Geometric shapes, proportions, and divisions of vibrating elements are transmitted through the air, internalized by humans, and transformed into music.
Following in the footsteps of previous sound explorers from various spatial and temporal origins such as Gamelan music with its infinite polyrhythmic replication, Psychedelia, Serialism, Musique Concrète, Bach, or J Dilla, this album presents itself as a materialization of ideas and concerns that, while already present in the band's musical understanding, are now brought to the forefront as if it were a vital manifesto.

From the very successful Jamaican Recordings 7'' Singles Club, here is the 22ND Release U Roy's chart topper of the 1970 ''Wake the Nation'' released with its original dub 'Non Violence'

Bongo Joe bands, breaking moulds & borders, celebrating 5 years of unity

Bongo Joe celebrate their 5 year anniversary with FUTUR ANTÉRIEUR, a digital compilation of 19 brand new tracks, created by Bongo Joe’s contemporary artist community, who provide their own stamp and interpretation of tracks that have previously been released as part of the label’s celebrated re-issue catalogue of archaeological discoveries.

Re-affirming the label’s disregard of genres and boundaries, the compilation sees artists like Bogota and Colombia’s pioneering and eccentric cumbia artist Meridian Brothers take on Extranos Juegos by the Spanish group Zombies (LA CONTRA OLA: Synth Wave & Post Punk from Spain 1980-86), the Geneva residents-en-psych-groove L’Eclair take on Mauritian singer Allen Meller on Moin Qui Bizin Travail (Soul Sega Sa! Indian Ocean Segas From The 70s) and Turkish outfit Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek reinterpret Ay Dili Dili from Azerbaijan guitarist Rüstem Quliyev, whose retrospective album Azerbaijani Gitara was released in 2020.

Founder of the label, Cyril Yeterian, half of Cyril Cyril, recollects, “Looking back to our past 5 years' mixed catalog of music from the past and the present made us immediately think about bridging these musical worlds into one. Several bands we have on our roster told us our reissues inspired their music so it sounded like the obvious thing to propose, to all our current bands on the label.”In just five years Bongo Joe has established itself as a label on a mission, doing things on their own terms, without hierarchy making sense of the world and industry from their community base and record store/cafe/DJ and event space in Geneva Switzerland; and it’s a method that has garnered much respect, with audiences and artists alike. The present compilation is the result of this vibrating energy coming from the shores of Geneva Lake.

Four dazzling, extended engagements with mbalax master-drumming.


The contribution from Holy Tongue is chase-the-devil steppers — thumping, clangorous, reverberating — super-charged with energy and atmosphere. From the off drummer Valentina Magaletti detonates a hard rain of small bombs, rounds of fire, ticking fuses. Musical co-ordinates are somewhere between classic On-U Sound crew like African Head Charge, The Mothmen, and Creation Rebel, and the experimental funk of the Pop Group and 23 Skidoo, at their funkiest. Thrillingly, the two dubs are increasingly deranged.

Adjusting the same wavelengths as her superb Workaround LP, Beatrice Dillon plays spaced-out, abstract synth-work against the bodily physicality of the ancient, shifting mbalax rhythms. The music is poised, mindful, tentative; but also limber, fleet, and magical.

Phantasmagorical and efflorescent, Lamin Fofana’s one-two is simply stunning. Both excursions are wide-open, beautiful, epic, and propulsive — the first mix is banging and headlong, the second more syncopated and serpentine — teeming with freshly sublime, funkdafied updates on Jon Hassell’s Fourth World possible musics.

The two parts of LABOUR’s Etu Keur Gui engage the same sequence of drum patterns (called bakks) from different perspectives. The duo performed portions of this piece at the opening ceremony of the Dakar Biennial in 2022, at the Grand National Theater, with thirty sabar players from the family of Doudou Ndiaye Rose. This Wolof phrase for the inner-court of a home — a meeting-place — doubles here as a metaphor for inner space on a metaphysical level; and Pan Sonic, Muslimgauze, Zoviet France, early Shackleton… all ghost across the threshold.

12 tracks originally released on the indie dance label GOMMA RECORDS between 2001 and 2010. (Gomma was the label Toy Tonics did before starting Toy Tonics.)

Along with DFA and Output records Gomma released a wild mix of electronic dance music, indie rock, undergound disco, post punk and new wave funk that was big in the 2000s. The Y2K sound!

Gomma released music by artists like Peaches, Whomadewho, The Rammellzee, James Murphy, LCD soundsystem and artists like Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand.

Now it’s 2023 and its feels fresh to put a spotlight on some of these tracks again.

And so here comes a 2nd compilation part of Gomma tracks:
Nancy Whang the singer of LCD Soundsystem, WhoMadeWho (the band started their career on Gomma), Italian disco producer Bottin, UK Indie Disco hero The Deadstock 33s aka Justin Robertson, NY Disco hipsters In Flagranti, German producers Munk and many more on this compilation.

Gomma not only was a record label, but was also a home for cutting edge design, wild T-shirt styles, underground exhibitions with new artists from the Berlin scene and crazy poster and fanzine design.
Many graphic design trends of the last years were preceded by what the artists on Gomma were doing. And many record and street wear labels of today look a bit like Gomma was looking before ... copying the images that Gomma preceeded: ironic cartoons, trash aesthetics, greek symbols, ugly design ideas and lot of ironic things.
The Gomma visuals world was exposed in a couple of exhibitions around the world and at a big exhibition at #hausderkunst München before the label was closed in 2015. (when Toy Tonics took off...)

For the first time ever, Record Kicks is pleased to announce the release of the long lost soundtrack by Whatitdo Archive Group to the Italian Cinematic Masterpiece "The Black Stone Affair'' on beautiful gatefold vinyl. Long thought to be lost alongside the movie itself by the production studio, the soundtrack's master reels were recently recovered and its audio meticulously restored and remastered by J.J. Golden in Ventura, CA.

The movie itself was understood to be unusual for its time: a globetrotting adventure/western-noir written and directed by aspiring visionary, Stefano Paradisi. Unfortunately for Paradisi, the tragic loss of his masterpiece also meant the end of his short lived career in movies. People who worked on the film have been cited as saying this film was going to be a turning point in Italian cinema and henceforth put Paradisi on the map alongside the likes of Fellini and Antonioni.

While the movie never saw the light of day, the soundtrack by obscure band Whatitdo Archive Group has thankfully been recovered. The music itself is staggering to hear, each track evoking all the senses almost all at once. "The Black Stone Affair (Main Theme)" sets the story with its dizzying bassline underneath a Morricone-esque harpsichord melody eventually all digressing into a psych-freakout of guitars swirling over what is the overarching motif groove of this iconic soundtrack.

We then get taken into the giallo-steeped melody of "Blood Chief". What can only be the theme of the antagonist, this cut offers crunchy drum breaks, reverb-drenched bongos and a sinister baritone guitar line that seems to be indicative of its character. "Ethiopian Airlines" transports the movie into exotic lands with its afro-centric rhythms and mysterious horn melody. The search is on for the elusive Black Stone, an artifact so coveted it had been hidden for decades for its fatal power of seduction. For fans of KPM and De Wolfe Music, "Il Furto Di Africo" definitely delivers a similar 'library' flavor popular at the time. Our ears are treated to an ambiguous sense of center. What were Whatitdo Archive Group thinking? There almost seems to be two key centers at once and a slithering flute line blending between both. We can only imagine that the Black Stone was successfully stolen from the small Italian village of Africo with this track.

What movie really is complete without a lounge-y Bossa number? "Italian Love Triangle" delivers that sun-soaked Mediterranean romance. Our cunning female lead, Lola, decides the only way she can acquire the Black Stone is to pit the trio of characters against each other with an erotic love triangle she carefully crafts to exploit the vulnerability of Blood Chief and Beaumont Jenkins. "Last Train to Budapest" finds our two male leads in a gun-wielding, high-stakes train chase through the dizzying mountains of Bosnia racing to Hungary's capital city. The music brilliantly calls upon the soundtrack's multiple melodic motifs to all collide into a single stressful heart-racing track sure to put a knot in your stomach. Probably the most unusual song appearing in this soundtrack is the French infused "L'amour au Centre de la Terre", an obvious yet tasteful homage to the composers' musical hero, Alain Goraguer. A lilting monologue is recited by who seems to be Lola, the tragic female lead in "The Black Stone Affair". Her passage speaks of the entangled romance she shares with the other two male leads and her plan to acquire the elusive Black Stone for herself. It's every man (and woman) for themselves! Paranoia and deceit has crept into the minds and motives of our conniving trio. No one can be trusted and false alliances are crumbling from within.

"The Black Stone Affair (Reprise)" evokes the characters' gut-wrenching feeling with its ever-rising key center. "Farewell Lola" is the saddening funeral dirge and exit of the aforementioned Lola. Sworn enemies Beaumont and Blood Chief stand silently outside the church and watch as Lola's casket is lowered into her untimely grave. This is merely an armistice between the remaining opponents, only to resume after paying their respects to their former 'lover'. A gory fight leaves Blood Chief standing. Beaumont is nowhere to be seen and only a cloud of dust slowly settles into the landscape as the mournful guitar and harmonica of "Beaumont's Lament" plays quietly in the distance. All is not lost. Triumphantly, Beaumont Jenkins stands tall, throws one last devastating blow to Blood Chief leaving him incapacitated. "The Return of Beaumont Jenkins" plays loudly in the face of Blood Chief desperately reaching for the stone only to realize it's a false! Our new hero, Beaumont Jenkins, sustained by Alessandro Alessandroni Jr.'s cinematic whistle, rides away victoriously into the night sky... the Black Stone hidden cleverly in his hat. End credits.

Steeped in obscurity, a cult following of crate-diggers and musical oddity collectors has been brewing over the mysterious releases of the Whatitdo Archive Group. Surfacing in 2009 from the high deserts of Reno, NV, USA, this recording collective focuses solely on curating, performing and preserving esoteric soundtrack, library and deep-groove collections. The personnel of the group consist of three musicians; each of them avid composers, recording engineers and obsessive record collectors. Alexander Korostinsky, Mark Sexton and Aaron Chiazza met in college and have been working together on producing music for over 10 years. (Both Korostinsky and Sexton also happen to write and perform in critically-acclaimed soul group "The Sextones"). In 2015 they quietly released a small batch of lo-fi deep-groove demos recorded exclusively to cassette in an old garage. This became their first full length offering, Shit's Dope, and it began to quickly spread across the internet piquing the interest of record collectors and DJs all over the world—a record Fleamarket Funk describes as "Falling in between some Headhunters and Lunar Funk 45s" and becoming a bestseller on Bandcamp of that year.

During this time, the Whatitdo Archive Group also began what is often hailed as a vital turning point in Reno music history; by hosting their famous "Whatitdo Wednesday" residency at a local venue. These packed performances drew the attention of not only live music-goers, but also the most accomplished jazz musicians in the area, often joining them on stage. Eventually, these shows stumbled into the arena of obscure performance art, where the band would facetiously distribute written and multiple choice tests during their performance for the audience to participate in.

After their residency came to a bittersweet end, the Whatitdo Archive Group refocused their attention on the wonderful world of 1970's soul-jazz, where they wrote and recorded what would be their follow up 7" release, Crocker Way / Steve's Romp. This limited edition 45RPM became a hot ticket item for UK record collectors who had been previous fans of WAG's older lo-fi work. Crocker Way was also a featured track on BBC Radio 6. Shortly after producing Crocker Way / Steve's Romp, the group again started production on their crown jewel of a record, a concept album that had been tossed around for several years beforehand but never executed. As band member Mark Sexton explains "We wanted to create an album that encompassed everything we love and admire about old Italian soundtrack scores, and bring that energy back into the spotlight". The group spent 9 months of research, digging through their personal collections of dusty LP's scrutinizing the work of Piccioni, Torossi, Roubaix, Alessandroni and of course Morricone, recording, mixing and working with over 24 skilled musicians. The Whatitdo Archive Group finally completed what would be their finest work to date, The Black Stone Affair. Recorded entirely in Korostinsky's home studio, this record is a labor of love, dedication, appreciation and respect for the golden age of Italian Soundtrack and Library music.

U.S. Cinematic outfit Whatitdo Archive Group returns to explore the worlds of Mid-Century Exotica and Library Music with "Palace Of A Thousand Sounds," out on May 5th.

From the instrumental cinematic-soul outfit behind 2021's critically acclaimed The Black Stone Affair comes Whatitdo Archive Group's most recent foray into the realms of the esoteric and arcane, and their most adventurous album to date: Palace Of A Thousand Sounds, available May 5th, 2023 on Record Kicks on limited edition LP, CD and digital platforms.

After The Black Stone Affair enthralled record collectors by traversing the cinematic landscape of an imagined 1970s Spaghetti Western, Palace Of A Thousand Sounds finds Whatitdo Archive Group entrenched deeper in the worlds of mid-century exotica and library music—from the Tropicalia-steeped Amazon to the minor key tonalities of the far-out Near East.

When the dust finally settled from their debut album, composer and tireless sound scientist Alexander Korostinsky set out to discover the band's new direction, with the ultimate goal to breathe new life into the mid-century era sound with the compass of modernity as his guide.

From its conception in 2021, Palace has sought to carry on a legacy set in motion by the likes of Martin Denny, Les Baxter and Juan García Esquivel. Korostinsky, guitarist Mark Sexton, and drummer Aaron Chiazza recorded the album in marathon sessions from Korostinsky's Studio "A," in Reno, Nevada—a mysterious sonic laboratory where the year 1970 has yet to happen, and vintage analog equipment interfaces with modern musical perspectives and experimental recording techniques to produce era-defining sounds.

Not content to appeal to the sensibilities of armchair anthropologists, Palace Of A Thousand Sounds finds the band interrogating the genre itself while making studious tributes to the real places and times it draws from. It's in this tension between here and there, fantasy and reality, that Whatitdo Archive Group find their groove.

Drawing from a century of pop and folk sounds from around the world the way only 21st-century crate-diggers can, Palace is rooted in an undercurrent of heavy funk that is decidedly here and now. Whatitdo Archive Group showcase the breadth of their influences with disarming confidence, equally at home behind sweeping harp, loungey vibraphone or Turkish bağlama saz. A lush seventeen-piece orchestra commanded by award-winning composer Louis King (Janelle Monáe, Monophonics) completes the instrumental mélange, enticing listeners to imagine a borderless planet unified by melody and rhythm.

The album is unafraid to explore the strange and uncomfortable in pursuit of an authentic musical identity, subverting expectations in pursuit of forwarding the genre while paying homage to its past. Fans will appreciate the architectural complexity of the record accessible only through multiple listens—each visit to the palace yielding new details to marvel at, curiosities to ponder, grand mysteries to explore.

Once the needle drops, W.A.G carefully guides you from room to room, sound to sound within the walls of the album's sonic palace. Listening becomes an aural journey providing glimpses into different worlds both real and imagined; you are everywhere and nowhere all at once—a guest in the grand halls and hanging gardens of time and sound.

Steeped in obscurity, a cult following of crate-diggers and musical oddity collectors has been brewing over the mysterious releases of the Whatitdo Archive Group. Surfacing in 2009 from the high deserts of Reno, NV USA, this three-piece recording collective(Alexander Korostinsky, Mark Sexton and Aaron Chiazza) focuses solely on curating, performing and preserving esoteric soundtrack, library and deep-groove collections. As an onlooker, it's hard to tell whether the music they are procuring is actually archival, music of their own creation, or both. Their debut LP The Black Stone Affair, the formerly lost soundtrack music of a once-shelved Italian cinematic masterpiece, was released in 2021 and received praise from the likes of Wall Street Journal, Mojo Magazine, Uncut, Shindig, Blues & Soul Magazine, BBC 6, FIP Radio (FR), KCRW (US), JazzFM (UK) and more. Two years later, the Whatitdo Archive Group is back. Get ready for an exotic adventure with their sophomore full-length effort: Palace of a Thousand Sounds.

Am 27. Oktober erscheint ihr neues Album "Chronicles of a Diamond" bei ATO Records. Produziert von Quesada und hauptsächlich abgemischt vom sechsfachen Grammy-Preisträger Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, The War on Drugs), übernimmt Burton auf den zehn Songs die Rolle des Co-Produzenten und lässt seine freigeistige Musikalität in jeden Track einfließen.

“It felt like a metamorphosis in a way that was both beautiful and difficult, but in the end feels more true to who we are as collaborators“, erzählt der Sänger. Die Songs entstanden zwar im Studio, fangen aber definitiv auch die verrückte Energie ein, die während den Live-Shows der beiden entsteht. Das endet in einem besonderem Hybrid aus Soul und symphonischem Pop, der verrückter und extravaganter als sein Vorgänger komponiert wurde. Inklusive unerwartete Ausflüge in Jazz-Funk und psychedelische Gefilde samt hypnotischen Rhythmen, wilden Gitarrenriffs und stimmungsvollen Mellotron-Melodien, die eine tranceartige Euphorie ausstrahlen. „With this album I felt very free in my vocal performance, which has a lot to do with Adrian hearing something in my voice and helping me to explore that”, ergänzt Burton.

Als Black Pumas 2019 ihr selbstbetiteltes Debüt veröffentlichten, löste das Duo aus Austin eine Reaktion aus, die fast so außergewöhnlich und mitreißend war wie ihre Musik selbst. Gefeiert von den Medien, hagelte es insgesamt 6 Grammy Award-Nominierungen (darunter Best New Artist und Album of the Year). Neben Live-Auftritten bei den genannten Grammy Awards, spielten die Black Pumas außerdem bei der Übertragung des NFL Drafts sowie zur Amtseinführung von Joe Biden. Sie tourten durch ganz Europa sowie Nord- und Südamerika und waren bei bekannten Late-Night-Shows wie Jimmy Fallen, Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen DeGeneres oder Stephen Colbert zu sehen. Ihr Album verkaufte sich über eine Millionen Mal, alleine ihre Single "Colors" steht inzwischen bei über 450 Millionen Streams. Nun ist es an der Zeit, das zweite Kapitel der Band aufzuschlagen.