Search:new funk

Repress of this 2014 single. First time that we have had this one. “City Heights” is a breezy walk through the neighborhood on a Summer’s day. Light and easy, the intro guitars give way to magnificent horns. Some sweet Soul Jazz at its finest. Reminiscent of George Benson meeting the Memphis Horns while Herbie Mann gets down, this side is soulful and funky at the same time. By the time the flute comes in and give way to more drums that knock, you’ve not just circled the neighborhood, you’ve walked the city and back nodding your head the whole way. This track is another winner from SFSE and a sure shot for Colemine Records. On point as usual, they are once again highlighting some of the newest and best bands out there. The flip, “Strollin’ Adams” picks up where “City Heights” left off. A little more jazzy, a little bit funkier but with that breezy feel still, this track brings you back to those mid 60’s early 70’s Blue Note / Prestige / Verve Soul Jazz moments. A time when the players clicked and gave us this genre that has wooed listeners for decades moving forward. The old sound is new again, and preserved just right. Aces high, this is a winner on both sides. - Flea Market Funk.

Repress of this 2014 single. First time that we have had this one. “City Heights” is a breezy walk through the neighborhood on a Summer’s day. Light and easy, the intro guitars give way to magnificent horns. Some sweet Soul Jazz at its finest. Reminiscent of George Benson meeting the Memphis Horns while Herbie Mann gets down, this side is soulful and funky at the same time. By the time the flute comes in and give way to more drums that knock, you’ve not just circled the neighborhood, you’ve walked the city and back nodding your head the whole way. This track is another winner from SFSE and a sure shot for Colemine Records. On point as usual, they are once again highlighting some of the newest and best bands out there. The flip, “Strollin’ Adams” picks up where “City Heights” left off. A little more jazzy, a little bit funkier but with that breezy feel still, this track brings you back to those mid 60’s early 70’s Blue Note / Prestige / Verve Soul Jazz moments. A time when the players clicked and gave us this genre that has wooed listeners for decades moving forward. The old sound is new again, and preserved just right. Aces high, this is a winner on both sides. - Flea Market Funk.

Cultivated Electronics presents For The Floor, a new series of split 12s on its vinyl-only sister label CE LTD. For the Floor is strictly aimed at the dance floor and showcases CE regulars alongside new artists with EPs incoming from DeFeKT, Rico Casazza, Tripeo, Cycloplex, Steve Allman, Alex Jann, Cyphon, Obzerv, Maelstrom and Sync 24 x Alienata. Hot on the heels of his latest release on the mighty Tresor, Irish Electro king and CE regular DeFeKT kicks off the series with 2 dancefloor destroyers. "Control Your Mind" rips through with harsh distorted 808s and booming vocals while "Fear and Body" is a spooky, funky electro groover perfect for dark basements. On the flip, CE welcomes back Rico Casazza to the label. Rico continues the electro funk vibes with "Home Here Us", slick beats and a bubbly bass line lay down the backbone of this peak time banger. Things then go deep and trippy and acidic with "Caldo" , a rolling robotic groove made for the club!

For whatever reason, the new Detroit label Choose Better Friends is dropping three brand-new and red-hot EPs all at the same time. We're fine with that because this trio of 12"s is quality US house direct from the source. Gino is behind this one and serves up four tunes for heady dance floors. There is a sense of intrigue to the scurrying toms and muted chords of 'Rawhide'. They unfurl over pinging kicks and clouds of sub-bass to great effect. 'Gitteshouse' is more romantic, with jazzy motifs drifting up top over a slick deep house beat that pings back and forth, and 'Truffaut' then picks up the pace for an edgy mix of unique synth sounds and chunky drum funk. 'Frontandback' gets raw and to close down with rock-solid kicks set to rattle walls.

First Word Records is very proud to bring you a brand new album from Takuya Kuroda!

Takuya Kuroda is a highly respected trumpeter and arranger born in Kobe, Japan and based in New York City. 'Midnight Crisp' is Takuya's seventh studio album, entirely self-produced and following 2020's highly acclaimed 'Fly Moon Die Soon', also released on UK label First Word (winner of the Worldwide Award's Label of the Year in 2019). Consisting of six new tracks, this once again sees Takuya displaying his unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop.

After following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz & contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid-noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects.

Following graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band. Premier said "The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…"

Takuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing six albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya's independently-produced debut album, 'Edge', followed by 'Bitter and High' the following year and 'Six Aces' on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album 'Rising Son', as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, 'Blue Note Voyage'. He released his 5th album 'Zigzagger' on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic 'Think Twice'.

His last album was the afore-mentioned 'Fly Moon Die Soon' on First Word, which received plays and support from the likes of Pitchfork, Earmilk, Bandcamp Weekly, Worldwide FM, All About Jazz, Apple Music, Tidal, Stereogum, Treble, Brooklyn Vegan, FIP (France), Tony Minvielle, Jazz FM, Huey Morgan (BBC 6 Music), BBC Radio 3, Novena Carmel, KCRW and tons more DJs, tastemakers, selectors, radio stations, bloggers & magazines.

The new project 'Midnight Crisp' will be released October 21st 2022 on vinyl, CD and digital, worldwide via First Word Records.

Pianist, drummer, composer and producer Hamish Balfour presents jazz funk, soul and electronic music, bridging the gap from classic Blue Note to Warp via Sonar Kollektiv on Running Colours, his electrifying debut album for London's Shapes of Rhythm Records.

Praised by Jazzwise for hissolo flourishes and sidestepping harmonies, Hamish Balfour should be a recognisable face to jazz addicts. The go-to keys player has performed and recorded alongside American jazz drumming legend Harvey Mason, Tenderlonious, The Temptations, Odyssey, Faze Action, Yolanda Charles' Project PH, Bassically, Nim Quartet and Yam Who. Popping up not only in the credits of many sought-after albums, but also Channel 4, ITV and BBCprogrammes for his compositions on various shows.

Over the course of eleven tracks, Balfour folds in and explores his influences, with a wide yet highly cohesive and strong palette of sounds, whilst interacting with high caliber guest vocalists such as spoken word artist and broken beat icon, Lyric L(Seiji,Nathan Haines), London Elektricity and Hospital Records' star vocalist Elsa Esmeralda, award-winning and chart-storming singer-songwriter Belle Humble (Freestylers, Paloma Faith) and soul and house mainstay Andre Espeut (Afriquoi,Simbad,Faze Action).

Responsible for all piano, synths, percussion and production on the album, Balfour's musicality shines through, a reminder of how overdue this debut album as leader is. However, in addition to the incredible vocalists, he's joined by some of the UK's finest jazz musicians: James Copus (trumpet), Pete Matin (bass), Laurie Lowe and Saleem Raman (drums) and Rob Updegraff (guitar).

Elsa Esmeralda implores us 'not to be afraid' on lead single and title track Running Colours. A perfect invitation to get stuck into this many layered album. Balfour compliments Esmeralda's soothing vocals with delicate piano intro before Lowe's bruk-easque drums and lead an irresistible groove bedded in warm synths and guitar licks.

Yes or No showcases Loose Lips legend Lyric L contemplating the uncertainty of love over a swinging mid-tempo jazz funk boogie groove propelled by tight drums and Hammond chords, closing with a flying trumpet solo from Copus, weaving around Balfour's nimble keys.

Wealth, featuring singer/songwriter Belle Humble, displays incredible depth and restraint. Humble delivers the enticing vocal with ease, as it slides over the intricate webs of jazz fusion and electronics.

Mogul is arguably Running Colours' curveball. An eastern-inspired whirlwind of all manner of synths and twisting drums which constantly morph throughout. Guitars and trumpets take turns to solo on a track that feels like a series of questions that we never quite get answers to.

Balfour's ability to merge free wheeling jazz and fusion with timeless electronic production and soulful compositions is also apparent on instrumental pieces such as Reflector 28. Here, we find the musicians upbeat, uplifting, progressive and playful, showcasing the keys whilst the bass underpins the groove.

South Of The Sun is Running Colours' laid-back moment with Roy Ayers-type vibrations as bass and drums sit in the pocket (at least to begin with), whilst a Rhodes weaves its magic. Like many of the album's tracks we take a few twists and turns before returning to our main feel-good motif.

Hamish's long awaited debut is sure to exceed the expectations of those who know him already, whilst introducing a whole new audience to his wealth of talent and originality.

New artist on Mule Musiq.

Tel Aviv born producer “Nadav Siegel aka Autarkic” has been releasing nice indie dance tracks from Disco Halal, Life And Death, Turbo, Optimo Music and name a few.

This is his first release on Mule, it is a sampler 12inch from the upcoming new album (digital only).

12inch kick off killer psychedelic techno house “Cymbals Powder Rush”, floating deep house which remind us Lawrence stuff “A Petition For Grace”, slow mo electric German progressive new age tune “New Age Swag”, detroit manner machine funk “Breeder”.

We are very happy to welcome the brightest hope from Tel Aviv.

Japanese street music icon, Yasushi Ide released new album featuring Don Letts, Josh Milan, Jeff Mills, DJ Krush and more.


"This is a sound track for rude, underground adults! Amazing mixture of reggae, dub, funk, jazz, rock, afro, house. Masterpiece that goes beyond genres of music created by great producer, Yasushi Ide who has relentless motivation and global network of talents." - Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive / Kyoto Jazz Sextet)

"Great album! It is amazing to finish such a big project involved many collaborators at this high quality only in a year and 4 months. The magic of Cosmic Suite is there are variety of styles, and it makes you feel deep and spiritual at one point, but at the same time you can feel relaxed. Also, I have to say that the sound quality is great. It sounds very clear and it can only be done with top level recording and mixing professionals." - Ken Ishii

Yasushi Ide is the Japanese street icon. In the 90's he was called "the Guru of Shibuya-kei" which was the movement of Shibuya style of eclectic pop by the artists such as Cornelius, Pizzcato Five, or Original Love who is once again recognized in City Pop revival of recent years. (Yasushi Ide was a manager of Original Love, and also Kenji Ozawa)

Through his works, he has been creating the global network of musicians such as Josh Milan of the Blaze, house music icon, Don Letts, the pioneer of connecting punk rock with reggae, and Jeff Mills, Detroit techno legend, and released a great amount of hi-quality music on his label, Grand Gallery.

The Cosmic Suite project started in 2020, during the pandemic. It started as a project to reconstruct the parts of music Jeff Mills created for Chieko Kinbara, a violinist which Mills produced. However, it turned out to be 36min of spaced themed original track = Cosmic Suite.
(There are few phrases of Jeff Mills music left in the final version) This masterpiece created a buzz in the music scene in Japan and overseas, and became Yasushi Ide's new beginning.

In June, 2022, Ide released "Cosmic Suite 2". Originally, Cosmic Suite was an instrumental. "Cosmic Suite" is the reconstruction of "Cosmic Suite 2" with the element of vocals. In this project, Don Letts, Josh Milan, DJ Krush are featured as guest musicians. Moreover, drums of Tony Allen, the legendary Afrobeat drummer, and Style Scott, a drummer known for his works in early days of ON-U label, and Gota Yashiki, a Japanese drummer known for his works with Soul II Soul are featured in this album. Also, Japanese brightest talents such as Kan Takagi of Major Force, Kaoru Inoue aka Chari Chari, Tomoyuki Tanaka aka Fantastic Plastic Machine and Calm are featured as artists and engineers. This is the true dream team of the Japanese underground music scene.

The artwork is done by Josue Thomas, the founder of popular fashion brand, Gallery Dept. He is also featured as poetry reading artist in track 1 of "Cosmic Suite 2." Ide and him collaborates in various projects under the concept of "Universal Music Connection."

Yasushi Ide's also well received as a dub artist. (beside his wide range of musical styles)
His dub cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine (Space Dub Mix)" is selected for "Late Night Tales mixed by Don Letts" in 2021.

Highlight of "Cosmic 2" is the unique dub sound in tracks such as "Lava" feat. UA, the Japanese singer often described as "Japanese Bjork", and "Sumimasen Suite" feat. Rebel Dread (= Don Letts).

Tokyo is the melting pot of street music from all around the World such as Dub, Jazz, House, Hip Hop, Afrobeat, Punk rock, Techno,,, You can see the influence of all spectrums of rebel music in this album. This unique avant-garde music can only be created by Yasushi Ide, who has been heavily involved in this truly unique music scene for a long time.

For Fans Of... Michael Kiwanuka, The Black Keys, Curtis Harding, Black Pumas. Latest 7” from Philly band named Artist to Watch by NPR station WXPN. Features signature Synth & Soul production from Eraserhood Sound. Follows the 2022 7” Money In Your Mouth / Miss Me. Philadelphia band Stereo League has always been about discovering new genres and working with collaborators who can bring unique sensibilities to their music. On their latest 7” Operator, Please / Seasons of Trouble, the band, comprised of childhood friends Alex Savoth and Dan King, continued their fruitful partnership with the synth & soul record label and production crew Eraserhood Sound. Following the success of the group’s 2021 EP Endless Mirage, the band, again under the guidance of EHS, have created two more timeless, soulful songs, each with their own unique personality. The A side “Operator, Please” is a swampy, seductive throwback to 70s soul and funk, evoking the indelible Southern sound from classic labels like Hi and Cat. The flip side “Seasons of Trouble” puts a bowtie on the funk, taking its cues from the classic Philly soul of The Delfonics, The O’Jays, and more. Stereo League, who have been named Artist to Watch by NPR station WXPN, believe this release to be the clearest and best representation of their vision to date, delivering the classic, yet thrilling sound they have been searching for. Tracks: 1. Operator, Please 2. Seasons of Trouble (Explicit)

Limited Turkey Gravy Brown Vinyl is for Indies only. FOR FANS OF The Meters, Booker T. & The M.G.s, New Mastersounds, Soulive, Jimmy Smith, Khruangbin. First Re-issue pressed at Gotta Groove Records! Pressed on exclusive 'Turkey Gravy Brown' vinyl. Produced and recorded by Colemine label owner, Terry Cole. The LP that started it all, and the first ever re-issue pressed at Gotta Groove! Bread & Butter, the first full length LP on Colemine Records and the debut of The Jive Turkeys, is nothing but funky, soulful instrumental goodness from start to finish. Bread & Butter clearly established The Jive Turkeys as the initial benchmark for the old-school funk revival in the Midwest. Fans of The Meters, Booker T. & The M.G. s, and the funk revival sound will surely dig what The Jive Turkeys are puttin down! Also Available From The Jive Turkeys: The Jive Turkeys 7”, Funky Turkey / Funky Brewster 7", BA / Chickenfoot 7" // Tracks: 1. The Funky Turkey 2. The JT Strut 3. Soul-Hi 4. Chickenfoot 5. Straight Fire 6. Bill Collector 7. Stamp 8. Funky Brewster 9. Talkin' That Talk 10. Grimmin' 11. B.A. 12. Otis Lament

Spanish DJ, producer and Night Shift records boss Javi Frias presents a new EP of disco edits that take the vibes of the 70s and re-fit them for the current dancefloor. As you might imagine, each of the four tracks seemingly has PARTY stamped across it in giant capital lettering, from the opening stomper 'Hot Damn!' with its bright-as-a-button brass section and the wah wah guitar of 'Dance To The Music' to the proto-house of 'The Spirit'. But the best is saved to last - the bendy funk bassline gymnastics of 'Feel Good', quite irresistible.

Revered bossman Nonentity takes the Source Material back to its roots with this firing new EP on hand-stamped and numbered 10". 'Denzel' is the visceral opener and one that sounds as if its synths have been fired by the hadron collider they are so fierce and fast. The drums too are hefty and the squelchy bass rounds out this instant electro classic. 'Equilibrium' on the flip takes a deeper tact, with moody chords hinting at unease as the slapping drum funk powers onwards. It's a two-tracker that is well worth adding to your aural assault arsenal.

New Detroit-based G.U.S. Records label will exclusively offer original 100% Soul & Funk ''Unreleased'' productions from the 80’s that were never pressed on vinyl records or sold in other formats.

By offering ''Unreleased'' productions with the highest quality both acoustically and artistically to appeal to a 100% Soul & Funk audience, Records are limited to 525 copies numbered manually with a stamp from 001/525 to 525/525 in order to satisfy all fans and collectors of the world.

2022 Repress !

Isle Of Jura starts life with an official reissue of the highly sought after 'Fire In My Heart' 12" by Escape From New York. BIG TIP!

Originally released in 1984 'Fire In My Heart' fuses elements of disco, funk and new wave to create a mystical masterpiece. 'Won't Be Your Fool' has more obvious 80's leanings and the 12" closes with the Instrumental Dub of 'Fire In My Heart', stripping back the vocals and letting the bassline work its magic. Completely re-mastered for 2016 and distributed worldwide by Rush Hour.

100% GALCHER was by all accounts a game-changer when it landed in 2013 as an hour of original music from a relatively unknown producer ushered in by the beloved mix series Blowing Up The Workshop. Galcher Lustwerk's signature sound — a smoky stream-of-consciousness baritone shadow-boxing with beats, informed by funk, rap, rhythm, and blues — felt like an epiphany, impossibly hypnotic and complete. Resident Advisor writes, "100% GALCHER laid out a louche, lysergic and resolutely black take on deep house." Pitchfork remembers the music's immediate impact: "It's the sort of gem you felt inclined to pass around” — and by year-end list time, word-of-mouth intensified. It was Resident Advisor and Juno's mix of the year, and earned a top-ten placement in FACT Magazine's albums list, as well as Philip Sherburne's personal rundown for Spin." Since then, select songs from 100% GALCHER have seen small-run pressings, while the album has lived primarily on SoundCloud and YouTube as a low-key cult legend. The gateway into Lustwerk's now well-established catalog, known for its reliability as a late-night listen and its prophetic vision for the near future of underground dance music. RA would later name it a mix of the decade, citing its influence and imagination: “Original in every sense — unknown, unheard and unbelievably good.” In late 2022, marking ten years since he first recorded the material, Lustwerk returns to Ghostly International to release 100% GALCHER as a remastered limited-edition double LP.

Lustwerk is a product of the Midwest. Growing up in Cleveland, he'd tape over his parents’ cassettes and spend hours at his family computer recording loops and designing artwork for the jewel cases of burned CDs. In high school, he turned to Ableton Live and absorbed every electronic music magazine he could find at the local Borders Books store. In excerpts from the 100% GALCHER liner notes, Lustwerk looks back: "My dad drove me to this shop on the westside Bent Crayon, where I would get anything the blogs told you to get + whatever the clerk recommended. CDs stayed in their packaging, there was always an overflow of vinyl stacked on the floor. I was too shy to listen to anything before buying."

As a college student at RISD, he played in noise bands, plugged into Providence's DIY scene via Myspace, and started DJing weeknights at bars downtown. There he connected with Young Male and DJ Richard, who would go on to found White Material Records and offer their third release to Galcher Lustwerk, an alias realized via CAPTCHA test, a perfect artifact of its internet age. By 2012, Lustwerk had drifted to New York City and settled into a graphic design job, quickly growing disenfranchised by office culture. "Some days I felt like a token, other days I felt invisible." At night, he and his friends were carving out their own space

The Outer Edge is very proud to release another quite sensational release. Here are the official reworks of Hans Hass' proto-AOR / cloud rock hymn "Welche Farbe hat der Wind" (which translates to "What color is the wind").

The main producer for this release was Marian Tone (of Key Elements), who reworked the track almost from scratch. He re-recorded the drums, the bassline, and some chords while keeping Hass's original vocal layer. The distinctive guitar playing by co-composer Gabor Kristof sparkles throughout. The result is exactly what we had hoped and asked for: a DJ-friendly version of this überclassic track.

The idea for this rework project came to mind when label owner DJ Scientist got word from Tobias Kirmayer of Tramp Records that "Welche Farbe hat der Wind" would be officially re-released for the first time on his compilation series "Praise Poems" as well as on a single reissue. Scientist immediately asked if he could make an edit with louder drums to make the track more playable in a DJ set. However, as the masters of the Tramp reissues had already been submitted to the pressing plant, he was granted permission to re-license the track and rework it for his own label instead.

Hence, the reworks feature Scientist's "vintage drums" mix, which has the drums mixed louder, plus drums added at the quite psychedelic and experimental last third, with a few other sound adjustments made.

But it was up to Berlin-based DJ and music producer Marian Tone to put the icing on the cake and rework and enhance the song further with his own version. With fellow Key Elements bandmember Steffen Kieslich, he completely re-recorded the drums. Then it was up to Doron Segal to replay the bass and the keys. What we get is the classic sound of "Welche Farbe hat der Wind" - just updated and fresher.

For the first time ever, the track is also available as an instrumental version. Here, the great original guitar playing keeps the song going and going, and makes it perfectly clear that this tune, which originally came out on the schlager album "Reise in eine glückliche Zukunft" in 1974, is pretty damn funky!

It has been difficult to put "Welche Farbe hat der Wind" into a genre box, But it has been described as "rare groove","psychedelic schlager", and even "proto-AOR". For facility, Scientist has coined the new term "cloud rock" to describe this particular style of soft but groovy music. The name cloud rock bears a conspicuous reference to the krautrock genre as well. More tracks in a similar vein will be heard soon in a DJ mix under the same name.

Marian Tone's rework, as well as the corresponding instrumental version, will be released on a limited 7" single with a full-color picture sleeve. The digital release will feature the DJ Scientist re-mix plus an alternative version that puts more focus on the re-recorded bassline. In any case, this is an essential item for any music lover as well as the ideal contribution to your ultimate "cloud rock" DJ set!

16 track compilation of 1980s classics.
Formed in Scotland in 1979, APB were a post-punk trio blending edgy
guitars with funk and new wave sounds
The band had many early 80s alternative radio and rock dance club hits including
‘Shoot You Down’, ‘Rainy Day’ and ‘Palace Filled With Love’.
New York-based Link Records originally issued ‘Something To Believe In’ in 1985,
and the ten- song title was perceived at the time to be APB's debut album
although it was actually a compilation drawn from the band's previous eight
independent singles. The band's 1981 debut single ‘Chain Reaction’ is now added
as a bonus track to the vinyl release, while that song and an additional five tracks
will appear on the expanded edition CD. ‘Danceability’ will appear in its original
mix on the vinyl LP, while the CD will feature the song in its extended ‘Danceability
Parts 1 & 2’ form.
"When I bought the second APB single, 'Shoot You Down'. I was blown away by
the pure energy and sparse funk groove that drove the record." said Matt Pinfield,
former host of MTV's 120 Minutes. "Over the course of the next few years, I saw
the band live about 15 times. They would always pack clubs in New York, New
Jersey, and Long Island -- anywhere they received airplay." In 2018's Beastie Boy
Book, band member Adam "Ad-Rock" Horowitz referred to ‘Shoot You Down’ as a
"punk dance-floor classic."
In 2022, APB remains an active touring band, which includes original members
Slater, Roberts and Cheyne. Over the decades, APB's sparse, rhythmic sound has
influenced everyone from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Franz Ferdinand. A new
generation is primed to make their acquaintance.

Die Musik von Surprise Chef basiert auf dem Hervorrufen von Stimmungen; ihre lebendigen Arrangements nutzen Zeit und Raum, um Klanglandschaften zu schaffen, die den Zuhörer in ihre Welt einladen. Der unverwechselbare Sound des Quintetts speist sich aus der Filmmusik der 70er Jahre, der funkigeren Seite des Jazz und den Samples, die die Grundlage des Hip-Hop bilden. Sie verschieben die Grenzen des instrumentalen Soul und Funk mit ihrem eigenen Ansatz, der durch unzählige Stunden im Studio, das Studium der Meister und - vielleicht am wichtigsten - durch die "Tyrannei der Distanz", die ihrer Musik eine einzigartige Perspektive diktiert, verfeinert wurde. Mit ihren ersten beiden Alben All News Is Good News und Daylight Savings haben sich die aus der Nähe von Melbourne, Australien, stammenden Musiker eine eingefleischte Fangemeinde erspielt und ihren Sound von ihrem Heimstudio aus in alle Ecken der Welt gebracht. Die Band ist nun bei Big Crown Records unter Vertrag und reiht sich damit in eine Reihe zeitgenössischer und klassischer Sounds ein, die die Musik von Surprise Chef seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2017 beeinflusst haben. Surprise Chef besteht aus Lachlan Stuckey (Gitarre), Jethro Curtin (Keyboards), Carl Lindeberg (Bass), Andrew Congues (Schlagzeug) und Hudson Whitlock - das jüngste Mitglied, das von der Percussion über das Komponieren bis zum Produzieren alles macht. Die selbsternannten "moody shades of instrumental jazz-funk" haben von allem etwas: druckvolle Drums, mitreißende Keys, eine Rhythmusgitarre, die man auf einer Studio One-Platte hören könnte, und Flötenlinien, die von einer Blue Note-Session stammen könnten. Aber wenn man einen Schritt zurücktritt und sich die Gesamtheit ihres Sounds und ihrer Herangehensweise anschaut, dann hört und sieht man eine Gruppe, die mehr ist als die Summe ihrer Teile. In vielerlei Hinsicht verkörpert Surprise Chef die Redewendung "the benefits of limits". Ihre Möglichkeiten waren insofern begrenzt, als es in Südost-Australien nicht viele Leute gab, die instrumentalen Jazz/Soul/Funk machten oder darüber sprachen, geschweige denn Platten herausbrachten. So mussten sie ihren Sound und ihre Herangehensweise in einer Art kreativer Isolation entwickeln, in der sich ein kleiner Kreis von Freunden und gleichgesinnten Musikern gegenseitig befruchtete. "Da wir in Australien so weit weg sind, bekommen wir nur flüchtige Einblicke in die Ursprünge dieser Musik", sagt Stuckey. "Aber als wir ein Label wie Big Crown hörten, wurde uns zum ersten Mal bewusst, dass man frische, neue Soulmusik machen kann, die nicht super retro oder einfach nur nostalgisch ist." Dieser Ansatz ist auf ihrem neuen Album Education & Recreation deutlich zu hören. Tracks wie "Velodrome" verbinden klobige Drums mit einer ohrwurmverdächtigen Synthie-Linie, die so klingt, als würde sie auf einer Ultimate Breaks & Beats-Compilation zu finden sein, während Nummern wie "Iconoclasts" zeigen, dass sie ein Händchen für die geschmackvolle Nutzung von Raum haben. Vom erdrückenden Intro von "Suburban Breeze" bis zum schwebenden, sanften Bop von "Spring's Theme" haben Surprise Chef ein Album zusammengestellt, das dich durch Höhen und Tiefen der Emotionen führt. Ein lebendiger, die Fantasie beflügelnder Sound! Dem weiten Spektrum dieser Instrumentalmusiksparte wird mit diesem neuen Album ein modernen Klassiker hinzugefügt.

Some are looking for gold or oil and others are passionately looking for forgotten music treasures! Those who can be described as "sound gold diggers" criss cross record shops or confidential places to unearth musical nuggets previously kept in the dark. This practice began with sampling in the 80s and has now become a way of safeguarding the world's musical heritage. With our new "Diggin' Collection", we invite you to discover soul, funk or disco gems from the 70s and the 80s available on three nice vinyls for your pleasure.