Nicky Night Time and Ali Love have collaborated for a hypnotising new single ‘Ubiquity feat. Breakbot’. Filled with classic disco flair, funk riffs, and infectious vocals the track instantly encapsulates a dreamy dance-floor moment and comes complete with remixes from The Magician, Eric Duncan and Lubelski who all add their signature spark.
With each artist living in a different country, ‘Ubiquity’ has already made its way around the globe, Ali Love explains how the track came together, “‘Ubiquity’ started its life in Australia with Nicky Night Time as a drum and guitar track. Then made its way to London where I added electric bass and vocals very early in the morning. I recall there were about 8 Japanese girls in my flat for some reason, so you could say that really added to the song’s vibe. You can feel there’s a party happening. The tune then travelled to LA where, by chance, Nicky drafted in Breakbot, who wrote the amazing string and horn parts, and sent the song into the stratosphere. The stars have aligned and the vibe is ubiquitous." Nicky Night Time adds “It was a love project really and I think we felt it was a cool thing just to put out into the world between the 3 of us amigos.”
For the remixes, globally renowned producer The Magician adds his signature touch highlighting the original’s funk elements and punchy drums while maintaining the driving bassline from the original. Merging disco with French touch, The Magician accentuates the cut-off and phaser effects for a playful and energetic remix. Next up, Eric Duncan hits with a synth heavy cosmic remix as Lubelski closes out proceedings going for a stripped down, late night shuffler.
Search:star funk
- A1: Gambit
- A2: Halt Mal
- A3: Hideo Ochi
- A4: Seemy 2
- A5: Bruuh
- A6: Opanke
- A7: Imani Yangu (Feat Imam Ally Salaam)
- A8: By Your Side
- B1: Go Thru Changes With Me
- B2: Okami 7
- B3: Slide Away (Feat Reginald Omas Mamode Iv)
- B4: Eddy St
- B5: I Hear Everything (Feat Kurt Wagner & Keshavara)
- B6: Tofu Break
- B7: It Takes Two To Tango
- B8: Azuki
Objets Trouvés
1 – ein Alltagsgegenstand, der zum Kunstwerk gemacht wird, indem der Künstler ihn findet, seiner bisherigen Funktion entledigt und ihn als Kunstwerk behandelt.
2 – ein Album von Twit One mit 16 Songs, inspiriert von verschiedenen Situationen und Sounds. Die Gästeliste wird geschmückt von Reginald Omas Mamode IV aus London, Kurt Wagner (Lambchop) aus Nashville und den Kölner Artists Keshavara und Imam Ally Salaam. “Objets Trouvés” ist Twit Ones drittes Soloalbum bei Melting Pot Music. Wenn wir seine Projekte mit Hulk Hodn (als Testiculo Y Uno), den Summers Sons (als Syrup), Lazy Jones (als Flatpocket), Count Bass D und Fleur Earth dazuzählen, dann blicken wir auf 10+ LPs zurück (LP steht für Longplayer; die Betonung ist uns wichtig, da wir jedes Twit One Album auf Vinyl releasen). 2009 startete Twit One das Beat-Game in Deutschland zusammen mit seinem Weggefährte Hulk Hodn. Twit One war Lo-Fi lange bevor Instrumental-Hip-Hop zu Coffeshop-Musik wurde (Wun Two und FloFilz können das bestätigen), obwohl er seinen Sound niemals mit einem solchen Begriff beschreiben würde. Heute spielt Twit One in seiner eigenen Liga und hat einen Ausdruck eigens für sein Genre geprägt: Cool Bap. Er ist ein Beats schaffender Tausendsassa, der Musik, Artworks und Videos kreiert. Er ist Musikkurator, DJ, Radiohost und betreibt einen Plattenladen (Groove Attack Recordstore in Köln). Auf der Suche nach „Beats to chill or study to“ wird man bei „Objets Trouvés“ nicht fündig. Bei einer Vorliebe für Musik, die ausdrucksvoll und vielseitig ist, eine Botschaft transportieren kann und ihre Wurzeln kennt, sollte „Objets Trouvés“ zum Standardrepertoire werden. Unterstützt von einem Team aus grandiosen Gästen – von Londoner MC/Sänger Reginald Omas Momade IV bis zu Kurt Wagner von den US-Alternativ-Rock-Ikonen Lambchomp – vereint Twit One Hip-Hop, Soul, Jazz und Funk wie nur er es kann. Untangiert von Trends und Moden ist sein Sound charakterisiert von Humor und kompromissloser Eigensinnigkeit, besonders empfehlenswert für Fans von Sun Ra, Dilla oder Moodymann (um nur ein paar der GOATS zu nennen).
- A1: Lily Was Here (Feat. Dave Stewart)
- A2: Dance ‘Till You Bop
- A3: Sax-A-Go-Go
- A4: Pick Up The Pieces
- B1: Funkyness
- B2: Girls Should Stick Together (Feat. Trijntje Oosterhuis)
- B3: So What
- B4: Bob’s Jazz
- C1: 2 Funky
- C2: Wake Me When It’s Over (Feat. David Sanborn)
- C3: Girls Night Out
- C4: What Does It Take (To Win Your Love For Me) (Feat. Jonathan Butler)
- D1: I Can’t Make You Love Me (Live)
- D2: For The Love Of You (Feat. Angie Stone) (Live)
- D3: Saxuality (Bonus Track)
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 30 years since Candy Dulfer rose to fame with her high-profile collaborations with Dave Stewart (the worldwide number 1 smash “Lily was here”) and of course the legendary Prince, whose tongue-in-cheek recommendation (“When I want sax, I call Candy”) in the “Partyman” video made the world sit up and notice the young, glamorous and talented sax player at his side. Candy has been fortunate to work - both in the studio and on stage - with some of the biggest names in music, including Van Morrison, Maceo Parker, Sheila E., Mavis Staples, Lionel Richie, Beyoncé, Pink Floyd, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, and many others. Despite these high-profile collaborations, Candy mainly focused on her solo career, starting her own band at age 13 and touring the world ever since.
Fresh off of their 2020 offering Adult Themes, El Michels Affair is back with a new full-length release. Titled Yeti Season, this newest album has everything we've come to expect from EMA's patented cinematic style of instrumental soul music. Where Adult Themes inspired a soundtrack to an imaginary film, Yeti Season brings us to a different place in time_with new inspirations. Taken with Turkish-styled funk and an almost Mumbai-esque take on soul, El Michels Affair offers us a different kind of drama and imagination with Yeti Season. If you've been following along, this shouldn't be viewed as too far a departure for El Michels Affair. The first single off of Yeti Season showed their hand back in 2018. A double-sided banger, that release brought the musical textures to the fore that dominate this record. The first song, titled "Unathi," is fully realized with the beautifully haunting-yet-hopeful vocals of Piya Malik, formally of 79.5_another Big Crown artist. Singing in Hindi, Piya's ethereal voice is telling us to work and strive together toward progress. Even if you don't understand her language, you can still hear the urgency of purpose, creating a lasting vibe that sits on top of it all. Leon Michels explains that Piya had a vital influence on this record: "When Piya started singing in Hindi, she had a different voice, a different tone. I knew we had to do something together." And so Piya appears on three other songs on Yeti Season: "Zaharila," "Murkit Gem," and "Dhuaan." Each providing particular signatures to the album. "Zaharila" is a building and changing love song punctuated by blaring trumpets, driving drums, and Piya's pleading lyrics. While the more upbeat "Murkit Gem" opens with a fuzzed out, Wu-Tang-esque baseline that buoys Piya's stylings. The psychedelic guitar and Piya's changing tones and textures singing about an all-consuming love are what pushed "Dhuaan" on to the second single from Yeti Season. There is also a vocal appearance from Shannon Wise of The Shacks, yet another Big Crown artist. Her song called "Sha Na Na," lies more in the familiar EMA vein: melodic, hypnotic, soulfully visual. But between Shannon's airy singing, the jumpy baseline, moody vibes, the active drum lines, it sounds like a pensive walk home after a strangely dramatic night. So what is Yeti Season? It could be more of a feeling than an actual place or time of year. It's a heavy album_as evidenced by the signature musicianship and dramatic vocal expressions. But it's also a hopeful record, with phrasings, textures, and chord changes that hint at something better_or fuller_coming our way. You hear it in songs like "Ala Vida," with its stabby, pulsing chords laying a bedrock for EMA's bright, atmospheric horn lines. Or even in "Fazed Out," which leaves you with a feeling of determination, a striving for resolution even though the driving, march-like song structure should accompany some conquering army. This persistence has to come from the fact that Leon Michels and company finished this record during the lockdown. It was a tough and troublesome time. But look at what has come of it: Yeti Season_a record of high and heavy drama, but also one of hope and promise. It may take a year like 2020 behind us to find hope in a winter big footed creature like a Yeti, but that's where we are.
Who is Harvey Couture? Some say he’s a survivor of French pop music’s sun-soaked synth-pop era of the early 1980s, others that he’s a more suave and stylish Serge Gainsbourg for the nu-Balearic era. There were even rumours circulating that he’s a musical mobster from the Cote D’Azure: a shadowy member of the mafia who deals in synths, drum machines and fretless bass guitars rather than guns, money and drugs. In truth, not even Leng Records knows much about the man behind the moniker, though his vividly kaleidoscopic, retro-futurist debut album, Scellé En Cristal, does offer a number of crafty clues. Whether listeners will make the necessary deductions to solve the mystery remains to be seen; regardless, it’s the music that matters, and on that score Scellé En Cristal simply cannot be faulted.
Rich in humid, afternoon-bright musical delights, the set sees our publicity-shy hero mix and mangle a multitude of musical influences – think proto-Balearic European synth-pop, Prince style purple funk, immersive ambient, early INXS style synth-rock, the electronic end of zouk and much more besides – with constantly colourful and imaginative results. Couture is most at home adding his variously seductive, sexy and sleazy vocals to bubbly, upbeat and mid-tempo numbers that combine delay-laden drum machine beats with surging synths, fluid bass, stylish guitars, lashings of leftfield pop nouse and plenty of tongue-in-cheek Gallic flair.
For proof, check the throbbing, off-kilter alien-funk throb of ‘Les Portes De La Perception’, the bustling, percussion-laden cheeriness of ‘Crème Solaire’ and the loose-limbed, toe-tapping brilliance of ‘Je Nes Peux Pas’, where chiming, steel pan style melodies and pots-and-pans percussion hits jostle for position with sliding fretless bass notes and flash-fried guitars. Check to ‘Passion’, a swaggering slab of bustling electrofunk/synth-rock fusion rich in ‘Rockit’-style scratches and restless synth-bass. The influence of languid, sunset-ready European pop records of the 1980s – those cuts that would later become sought-after amongst dusty-fingered collectors of Mediterranean music – is another recurring feature of Couture’s cultured but joyous debut album. It can be heard amongst the drowsy guitars, yawning bass and tumbling lead lines of ‘Look Within’, the pleasingly laidback ‘Invincible Line’, the elastic bass, fluorescent synth sounds and stuttering machine drums of ‘Marche’.
Yet Couture is no one-trick pony. Horizontal and loved-up moments of a more downtempo hue can be found scattered across the album, with the enveloping ambient awe of ‘Les Portes’ – all swelling chords, gentle melodies and atmospheric field recordings – and slowly unfurling ‘Whale Song’ both lingering long in the memory. Harvey Couture may not be ready to step out of the shadows just yet, but his music most certainly is. We have a feeling that Scellé En Cristal is just the start of the mystery monsieur’s musical journey.
solid white vinyl / 180 grams
British Electro veteran Bass Junkie returns for his second vinyl outing on Bass Agenda Recordings, this time with a full-length album. As his last release, "Low Frequency Fugitive" indicated, he has been working hard on developing his trademark sound and taking things forward; no mean feat for someone who has been ahead of his time since he began releasing Electro in the mid-nineties. He has succeeded though and everything he is loved and respected for is here, plus some advanced structures and elements - Bass Junkie evolved - a true Sub Sonic Survivor. The harder edge is here in tracks such as "Blast Them to Infinity!" and the insanely hard kick of "Star Destroyer". His funkier side shines through too, in tracks like the shimmering space funk of "Rum and Raspberries". For fans of his exceptional vocal work there are treats in store too, particularly in the aggressive attack on the modern state of things that is "Reset".
This limited vinyl-only and single-sided 12" gem of a jam by Tetzlaff, an originally well-kept secret Rico Puestel project from 1995, had it coming for over 20 years now...
The mystical inscription "Angliziskuss" appeared on the original audio tape cassette as well as the magnetic tape that carried several drum machine and bass guitar recordings from the mid and late 1990s until the early 2000s - totally forgotten until they emerged in 2011 when everything slowly started coming together.
"Angliziskuss" is a combination of the German word for "Anglicism" (vocabulary borrowed from English from another language) and "kiss", like one language kisses the other one throughout some kind of symbiotic and overriding act.
That initial naming gave a deeper meaning to the whole development of the production and triggered the gathering of all creative amendments to the track over the years that led to one final and closing addition to it about seven years ago: The dynamic meeting of an infamous, emotionally charged English vocal snippet and its more rational counterpoint German translation, delivering a subtle tension overall and within.
All embedded into one charming housier journey of over 14 minutes, the „Angliziskuss“ establishes an unique recipe of balearic-like piano playings, a disco-and-funk-styled live bass guitar theme, both futuristic and nostalgic synth lines based on one unadulterated 1980s drum machine foundation.
- A1: The Devil In Me 3:24
- A2: Hey Queenie 4:08
- A3: Betty Who? 3:57
- A4: You Can‘t Dream It 3:10
- B1: My Heart And Soul 5:13 (Long Version)
- B2: Get Outta Jail 3:18
- B3: Do Ya Dance 2:44
- B4: Isolation Blues 3:36
- C1: I Sold My Soul Today 2:37
- C2: Love‘s Gone Bad 4:35
- C3: In The Dark 3:08
- C4: Motor City Riders 3:54
- D1: Can I Be Your Girl 3:34 (Bonus Track)
- D2: Desperado 3:37 (Bonus Track)
yellow/black vinyl![25,17 €]
Denn leichtfertig würde die amerikanische Rocksängerin solche Superlative wohl kaum in den Mund nehmen. Suzis Begeisterung für ihr neuestes Werk hat viele Gründe, genau genommen 12. Denn exakt ein Dutzend Songs befinden sich auf The Devil In Me, auf dem vom Opener/Titelsong bis zum finalen ‚Motor City Riders‘ jede Nummer ein echtes Highlight ist. Die Gründe für Suzis bemerkenswerte Kreativexplosion: einerseits der Lockdown, der sie ab Frühjahr 2020 von ihrem gewohnten Tourleben abhielt, andererseits die erneute Kooperation mit ihrem Sohn Richard Tuckey, die bereits auf dem Vorgänger No Control glänzend funktioniert hat. Suzi: „Ab Frühjahr 2020 wurden fast 100 meiner Shows gecancelt, und auch Richard wäre eigentlich mit seiner Band unterwegs gewesen, wenn nicht alle Konzerte abgesagt oder verschoben worden wären. Also sagte ich zu ihm: ‚Wir sollten die freie Zeit nutzen, um neue Songs zu schreiben und uns von dem inspirieren lassen, was sich in der Welt derzeit abspielt.‘ Ich wusste, dass Richard und ich ein tolles Team sind, denn No Control war ein riesiger Erfolg und eine für uns ganz besondere
Scheibe. Allerdings hatte ich nicht damit gerechnet, dass wir sie sogar noch übertreffen könnten. Doch alle, die The Devil In Me gehört haben, und diejenigen, die am Vorgängeralbum beteiligt waren, sagten uns: ‚Diese Scheibe ist noch stärker!‘“
Producer extraordinaire John Morales returns to BBE Music, celebrating the life and work of R&B / soul legend Teena Marie with a double album full of brand new remixes, lovingly crafted from the original studio tapes, entitled ‘Love Songs & Funky Beats’. “Teena is somewhat underrated, and people don't really know much about her.” Says Morales. “I set out to immerse people in her music and represent what she really did. That meant for me a dive into more than her R&B hits, to dig into her ballads and dance cuts. People know she was talented. I don't really think they really knew the depth of her abilities, her complete confidence to take it upon herself to do everything – singing, producing, arranging, songwriting. Teena Marie was the total package.” John Morales had the pleasure of mixing many of Teena Marie’s original records over the years, so it felt natural to dig into the archives and select his favourite cuts to rework, extend and subtly update in his own distinctive style. While by no means a definitive collection of Lady Tee’s expansive musical catalogue, ‘Love Songs & Funky Beats’ represents a fitting tribute to a multifaceted and important voice in popular music, by one of the most storied mix engineers and remixers of our age. Jumping into the music industry deep end in 1979 with a three-year mentorship from Berry Gordy & Rick James at Motown, Teena Marie then spent seven fertile years with Epic, which yielded her greatest commercial successes (including the classic album 'Starchild'). After founding an independent label ‘Sarai’, Marie took a ten-year hiatus which ended in 2004 in a deal with hip hop label Cash Money Records; a less unlikely partnership than some might assume, given that Teena was one of the first ‘mainstream’ artists to perform a rap verse, on 1981’s ‘Square Biz’. Teena Marie Brockert forged a unique path through the industry, an artist in-charge of her own destiny, influencing (and heavily sampled by) both the hip hop and R&B sounds of the 90’s and early 2000’s. Her 1982 lawsuit against Motown records resulted in "The Brockert Initiative", which has benefitted literally thousands of other artists by making it illegal for record companies to ‘shelve’ artists by keeping them under contract without releasing their material. She continued to tour regularly and deliver commercially successful, expertly sculpted music, right up until her untimely passing in 2010.
- A1: Have A Nice Weekend Baby
- A2: The Love We Share Is The Greatest Of Them All
- A3: There’s Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You
- A4: I Love You More & More
- B1: Naked As The Day I Was Born
- B2: That’s The Reason Why (I'll Love You Until The Day I Die) (I'll Love You Until The Day I Die)
- B3: Shame Me, Wake Me
- B4: If We Don’t Make It Nobody Can
Re-issue of a soul masterpiece from 1974, 'I Love You More and More' by Tom Brock was Tom's only solo album release, but what a beautiful classic it is. For some, it is up there in the pantheon alongside their all-time treasured soul favourites such as Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On'.
Produced by the legend Barry White and released on 20th Century Records in 1974, it features the lush hallmark orchestration, heartfelt songs, and funky yet slick playing you’d expect from a White production. Like a dusting of sugar onto the top of the cake, the record also features the stunning arrangements of the great pianist, arranger, composer, and producer Gene Page, whose musical career left an impressive and prolific legacy.
'I Love You More and More' received another lease of life when it was resurrected for a new audience after having been sampled by Jay-Z, Mos Def, C.L. Smooth, and others. The record is solid throughout, but the song 'There's Nothing in This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You’ proved to be an extra-bright star in the sky and it formed the base to Jay-Z's 2001 hit 'Girls, Girls, Girls'. The sampling of Tom’s work triggered the collectors, diggers and DJs to explore his record and to transfer their passion for it onto their followers too.
Tom Brock passed away in 2002, but left behind his sensational soulful voice on a handful of amazing dusty 7" singles, several assorted productions recorded by other artists, and this absolute winner of an album, which will be cherished for years to come.
• Half-speed vinyl cut at Abbey Road Studios
• Sampled by Jay-Z, Mos Def, C.L. Smooth…
• Produced by Barry White, arranged by Gene Page.
LTD. CLEAR BLUE VINYL
Fresh off of their 2020 offering Adult Themes, El Michels Affair is back with a new full-length release. Titled Yeti Season, this newest album has everything we've come to expect from EMA's patented cinematic style of instrumental soul music. Where Adult Themes inspired a soundtrack to an imaginary film, Yeti Season brings us to a different place in time_with new inspirations. Taken with Turkish-styled funk and an almost Mumbai-esque take on soul, El Michels Affair offers us a different kind of drama and imagination with Yeti Season. If you've been following along, this shouldn't be viewed as too far a departure for El Michels Affair. The first single off of Yeti Season showed their hand back in 2018. A double-sided banger, that release brought the musical textures to the fore that dominate this record. The first song, titled "Unathi," is fully realized with the beautifully haunting-yet-hopeful vocals of Piya Malik, formally of 79.5_another Big Crown artist. Singing in Hindi, Piya's ethereal voice is telling us to work and strive together toward progress. Even if you don't understand her language, you can still hear the urgency of purpose, creating a lasting vibe that sits on top of it all. Leon Michels explains that Piya had a vital influence on this record: "When Piya started singing in Hindi, she had a different voice, a different tone. I knew we had to do something together." And so Piya appears on three other songs on Yeti Season: "Zaharila," "Murkit Gem," and "Dhuaan." Each providing particular signatures to the album. "Zaharila" is a building and changing love song punctuated by blaring trumpets, driving drums, and Piya's pleading lyrics. While the more upbeat "Murkit Gem" opens with a fuzzed out, Wu-Tang-esque baseline that buoys Piya's stylings. The psychedelic guitar and Piya's changing tones and textures singing about an all-consuming love are what pushed "Dhuaan" on to the second single from Yeti Season. There is also a vocal appearance from Shannon Wise of The Shacks, yet another Big Crown artist. Her song called "Sha Na Na," lies more in the familiar EMA vein: melodic, hypnotic, soulfully visual. But between Shannon's airy singing, the jumpy baseline, moody vibes, the active drum lines, it sounds like a pensive walk home after a strangely dramatic night. So what is Yeti Season? It could be more of a feeling than an actual place or time of year. It's a heavy album_as evidenced by the signature musicianship and dramatic vocal expressions. But it's also a hopeful record, with phrasings, textures, and chord changes that hint at something better_or fuller_coming our way. You hear it in songs like "Ala Vida," with its stabby, pulsing chords laying a bedrock for EMA's bright, atmospheric horn lines. Or even in "Fazed Out," which leaves you with a feeling of determination, a striving for resolution even though the driving, march-like song structure should accompany some conquering army. This persistence has to come from the fact that Leon Michels and company finished this record during the lockdown. It was a tough and troublesome time. But look at what has come of it: Yeti Season_a record of high and heavy drama, but also one of hope and promise. It may take a year like 2020 behind us to find hope in a winter big footed creature like a Yeti, but that's where we are.
∙ Live they were a revelation. The only group from
the UK scene who could do tight and slick, without
slipping into ‘lift music’ blandness. The core
membership of Andrew Levy, Simon Bartholomew
and Jan Kincaid had been playing together since
college and knew where the other was going. Their
ability to write classic soul songs lifted them above
their contemporaries.
∙ Shibuya 357 is the quintessential (and only live)
document of an era that quickly passed. The hits –
‘Never Stop’ , ‘Dream Come True’, ‘Stay This Way’
and ‘Don’t Let It Go To Your Head’ are all here – as
are some compelling funk jams. This recording
captures the ecstatic rush of joy; when you go from
youthful dream to accomplishment in such a short
period.
∙ The album was only ever released in Japan in the
late 90s and then only for a very short time. Acid
Jazz is pleased to release this new version
remastered from the source tape, and the album
appears on vinyl and on streaming services for the
very first time.
∙ 1991 was a momentous year for The Brand New Heavies.
They started it without a singer second on the bill to
The James Taylor Quartet and by the end they were
had a Top 3 US hit and were about to embark on a
run of 16 Top 40 hits in the UK. N’Dea Davenport
was by this point fronting the group as their guest
singer, and the brilliant string of singles from their
debut album were becoming locked in the minds of
an ever growing fan base.
*Repress*
Jerome Hill revives his Itsu Uno guise for the first time in 7 years and starts 2021 with some much needed fun.
He serves up 2 Cut n Paste Party Rocking Funk Bombs for the B-Boys and B-Girls.
No prizes for guessing the inspiration for "Shooter (Super Sharp B-Boy) although you'll not have heard it like this before. Meanwhile in "Battle Of The Breaks", Itsu Uno goes to town and serves up all manner of funky-ass beats and samples culminating in a finale that will get you ‘jumpin'
Fat Hop was started by Jerome in 2009 to house B-Boy Break jams, Old Skool style Hip Hop and Britcore.
- 1: Capitalism A..f
- 2: The Flood
- 3: Two Minutes To Midnight
- 4: Riffin On Jimi
- 5: De-Escalate And Dialogue Now
- 6: Music Is The Sound Of Life
- 7: I Nt Ernationalism
- 8: Mutual Aid
- 9: Weed
- 10: Lamenting Autotuned Life
- 11: Musica Sin Fronteras
- 12: Noise Dancer
- 13: Who Controls The Past
- 14: The Ol' Mass Extinction Blues
- 15: Robot Flamenco Shit
- 16: The Chickens Are Coming Home
- 17: The Machine
- 18: From Civilization To Barbarism
Consolidated, the political dance/industrial music band from the early 90ties joined again for a studio session in San Francisco last summer, resulting in a new album. 'We're Already There'. The first release on Consolidated's own label 'The End Of Records'. What else to expect, the new recordings are an innovating mix of industrial, to hip-hop, to rock and funk with mixtures of live instruments and electronics. Topped with left political activism and politically radical lyrics address issues such as America, Covid and ecocide with song The Flood, demand *'Free Music, Stop America'* with Musica Sin Frontieras & welcome guest vocalist GRETA THUNBERG on the track The 'ol Mass Extinction Blues. The album starts in 'traditional Consolidatedgroove' with the song 'Capitalism A.F.', a mix of beats, industrial sounds and hiphop. Followed by funkypop songs, danceable industrial jams, techno beats, reggae and blues influences plus a remarkable noise track. Main musicians are Adam Sherburne (guitar/vocals) and Mark Pistel (synths/beats) backed by Lynn Farmer (Meat Beat Manifesto) on drums, who replaces the original drummer Phil Steir. The complete album is recorded, mixed and mastered by Mark Pistel at 'Room 5' in San Francisco. The cover shows art paintings from Ayelet Hay (front) and William Kendall (back). On 'We're Already There' Consolidated plays more music than ever. "I have zero interest in being in a band, especially my own_" "I had to develop a different way to be involved with music for aesthetic and mental health reasons_" "FREE MUSIC! is not to the detriment of artists, it's literally the end of artists-as anyone perceives them in the last 500 years" -Adam Sherburne - Consolidated are known for their live performances, in which a microphone is passed among audience members to discuss, rebut, argue or elaborate on song topics. Consolidated: Adam Sherburne & Mark Pistel.
They Say: “New directions in contemporary scoring”.
We say: Contempo is one of the best full album listens in the KPM 1000 library. Succinct smoking soul, super tight breaks and string-drenched sleaze composed by the library master, Keith Mansfield.
The creator of the romping tunes that became the iconic themes to the BBC’s Grandstand programme and their televised Wimbledon Tennis Championship coverage, Keith Mansfield was perhaps KPM’s most prolific artist from the mid 1960s right the way through the 1980s. As well as the sort of pop orchestral sound that is all over these classic library records, he could also turn his hand to raw, edgy rock and funk. Quentin Tarantino is a big fan, going as far as including some of Keith’s work on the soundtracks to Kill Bill and Grindhouse.
Many library records are a game of two halves and Contempo is certainly one of those. The first side cooks on a high funk breaks flame whilst the flip is something altogether more tranquil, yet no less groovy. It lays back with dreamier, post-coital grooves.
Rugged funk opener “The Fix” confidently displays its low slung languid grooves with heavy drums, horns and bass. Smokin’ in slow motion. The punchy “What’s Cooking” follows and has a lighter, more whimsical touch. But the drums still roll and the clavs wiggle in fascinating opposition to those horns. The dark and moody intro to “Cut To Music” gives way to a more inclusive, relaxed funk that’s all irresistible bass and stabbing horns. The mid-tempo “Man Alive” signals the time to really get down. A percussive monster jam. If you can’t strut to this then we really can’t help you! Closing out the A side, fresh guitar licks drip all over the slick drums of “Funky Footage”, with a New Orleans piano vibe coming on to really light a fire.
Whilst the dramatic crime funk of the A side is enough on its own to have earned this record its place in the great library record canon, it’s undoubtedly the more smoothed out B side for which Contempo is rightfully adored and celebrated. It’s so chilled and mellow, with beautifully arranged, sweeping strings, sax solos aplenty and a real 70s soundtrack feel. Think Love Boat, CTI label, Bob James, Grover Washington Jr.-type jams.
The super sleek and sexy jazz funk of “Breezin’” is as light and magical as you’d hope. An open-air masterpiece, its indulgent sound is just a taster of the sophisticated funk to follow. The elegant, romantic feels of “Good Vibrations” (used brilliantly by Odd Future’s Mike G for “Swiss Army”) is a string-drenched, wah-wah fuelled ode to living your best life. Nonchalantly. Whilst it keeps a very West Coast feel, the blaxploitation strut is certainly more Blackbyrds than Brian Wilson. “Sun Goddess” will blow your mind with the sensuous sound of glorious horns and beautiful keys. The luxurious “Love De Luxe” and its horizontal grooves have been much sampled, but here it proves that it doesn’t need any help to get you in an intimate mood. Closer “Snake Hips” is a cool mid-pace slouch. Just divine.
Originally released in 1976 but, like the very best KPM records, wonderfully timeless, Contempo is also no mere LP-length collection of loosely related tracks. This is a rare example of a library record that is a genuinely great listen from start to finish.
As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Contempo comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity.
: Contempo (KPM) (LP)
- A1: Impulsion (03 02)
- A2: Tension Build (00 30)
- A3: Fast Action (02 28)
- A4: The Chaser (01 57)
- A5: Heat On (01 03)
- A6: Runaway (02 04)
- A7: Power Source (00 30)
- A8: Percussion Power (02 51)
- A9: Shivers (03 08)
- A10: Gathering Storm (02 21)
- A11: Drums On Parade (02 16)
- B1: Samba Street (A) (03 00)
- B2: Samba Street (B) (03 00)
- B3: Child’s Theme (A) (01 14)
- B4: Child’s Theme (B) (00 40)
- B5: Child’s Theme (C) (01 04)
- B6: Child’s Theme (D) (01 26)
- B7: Child’s Theme (E) (01 25)
- B8: Spanner In The Works (02 17)
- B9: Tropical Peace (01 45)
- B10: Clippity Clop (01 15)
- B11: Red Indian Drums (00 35)
- B12: Fairy Wand (A) (00 08)
- B13: Fairy Wand (B) (00 09)
- B18: Timpani (B) (00 05)
- B19: Timpani (C) (00 05)
- B20: Vibraphone (A) (00 15)
- B21: Vibraphone (B) (00 15)
- B22: Bell Chimes (00 27)
- B23: Clock Chimes (00 37)
- B14: Fairy Wand (C) (00 12)
- B15: Snare Drum Roll (A) (00 12)
- B16: Snare Drum Roll (B) (00 07)
- B17: Timpani (A) (00 25)
They Say: “Exploring the wide range of moods and sounds produced by percussion”.
We say: MPCs at the ready because this does exactly what it says on the tin, to devastating effect. Oh, and the sleeve is stunning.
Originally released in 1979, Percussion Spectrum was produced by the legendary percussionists Barry Morgan and Ray Cooper. With dope beats taking in diverse styles, from funk and soul and jazz through to Latin, Brazilian, samba and Afro-Cuban, this is an amazing sample source filled with killer drum-breaks and percussion flares. Unsurprisingly it’s one of the most sought-after records from the Themes catalogue.
This library LP is a library in itself, with its mix of short themes of single beats, short breaks and some longer, more fully-formed DJ-friendly tracks. Trust us when we say that this is a box full of percussion firework ready to be thrown onto the dancefloor at the just right moment. We don’t have anywhere near enough space to describe all 34 tracks (there isn’t even enough room on the labels to list them all!) so we’ll pick out some favourites.
Favourites like opener “Impulsion”, a percussive masterclass with drum upon drum upon drum making it feel like a neat prototype to the percussive underscores of Peter Lüdemann and Pit Troja’s eternal The Now Generation LP. And the dramatic “Fast Action” is exactly that, racing along on a rapid roll of congas, cymbal crashes and throbbing kicks. “The Chaser” is classic library cop-funk with dilapidated drum figures, and the outrageously funky “Heat On” is the perfect accompaniment to your wild action sequences.
A real highlight is “Runaway”, and not just because it sounds like nothing else on the record. Here are drums and percussion in that tight funk style that just cries out to be sampled. “Percussion Power” is an extended, near-three minute suite of funky drum solo after funky drum solo that just aches to be looped: open drums to die for people! “Shivers” is a tense, apprehensive underscore with shock stabs that builds to a climax whilst “Drums On Parade” is a showcase of head-nod drums and cymbals in march time. Did someone say “funky”?
Side B starts with a stroll down “Samba Street”. With the noise of the crowd in the background, this is riotous, authentically drawn samba that sounds like it’s been beamed straight in from Rio in full flow. Drop this at midnight and watch the cobwebs fly off any dancefloor. Prefer it without the fake crowd? “Samba Street (b)” has you covered.
The simple, innocent “Child’s Themes” (all five of them) provide a nice, sweet respite from all the funk. Nursery sounds tinged with only a touch of melancholy. The gentle marimba solo of “Tropical Peace” only adds to the sense of serenity we get from the relatively calm second side. The album closes out with a veritable toolkit of tom toms, snare drum rolls, timpani, vibraphones and chiming bells.
Percussion Spectrum is a joyous collection of sounds, as bright, beaming and downright funky as the vibrant cover. The Themes series is known for each record having its own particularly striking sleeve, which was unusual for library records at the time, and Percussion Spectrums’s multi-coloured drumsticks make for one of the most eye-catching.
As with all of our other Themes re-issues, the audio for Percussion Spectrum comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. As usual Richard Robinson has taken the same care with restoring the original sleeve from archive scans. This is another one ticked off the list of library records that should be out there for anyone who wants a copy.
- A1: High Velocity (02 26)
- A2: Crash Course (02 40)
- A3: Crash Course Ii (00 14)
- A4: Crash Course Iii (00 10)
- A5: Matter Of Urgency (02 37)
- A6: Dawn Of Aquarius (02 50)
- A7: Dawn Of Aquarius Ii (02 50)
- A8: Staying Power (03 28)
- B1: Trucking Company (02 32)
- B2: Trucking Company (A) (01 03)
- B3: Trucking Company (B) (00 50)
- B4: Trucking Company (C) (00 38)
- B5: Hot Cargo (02 25)
- B6: Espionage (03 08)
- B7: Interplay (01 55)
- B8: Omen (05 17)
- B9: Perpetual Motion (03 30)
They Say: “Contemporary scores for visual effect”.
We say: Synth-heavy, low-slung space-funk masterpiece.
The creator of the romping tunes that became the iconic themes to the BBC’s Grandstand programme and their televised Wimbledon Tennis Championship coverage, Keith Mansfield was perhaps KPM’s most prolific artist from the mid 1960s right the way through the 1980s. As well as the sort of pop orchestral sound that is all over these classic library records, he could also turn his hand to raw, edgy rock and funk. Quentin Tarantino is a big fan, going as far as including some of Keith’s work on the soundtracks to Kill Bill and Grindhouse.
This is it. This is THE ONE for us: Keith “The Man” Mansfield’s Vivid Underscores from 1977. A sample freak’s wet dream and one of Be With Rob’s favourite ever KPM records. A must for fans of Brian Bennett’s Voyage (yes, THAT good). And no, we’ve no idea either why it took us this long to get round to tackling this monster of a record. But then again some things are worth waiting for.
Attention! Calling all crate diggers, DJs, beat heads, Hip Hop junkies, MF DOOM fans! Behold! Vivid Underscores makes sampling easy. Prepare to be up all night, every night, chopping, looping and splicing these endless grooves and spacey synths. The highlights are too many and too mind-blowing so we’ll pull out a few particular highlights. Trust us, this library LP is just jaw-dropping.
“High Velocity” sets the tone with its aggressive horns, wah-wah guitars, funky baseline and wobbly synth refrain. So good and so hypnotic that Memphis Bleek just had to swipe the ominous, frazzled intro for “What You Think of That” featuring Jay-Z. Also, for real drama, the 1985 Lakers retrospective “Return to Glory” used it to soundtrack the footage from the legendary game five of the NBA finals at the Forum. Heady days. “Crash Course” - Stetsasonic horn refrain? Beautiful - jazzy chase-funk, amazing warm keys, percussion and funky horns - all action.
The more restrained “Matter Of Urgency” is an utterly amazing, brass-heavy underscore. The grandiose, uplifting “Dawn Of Aquarius” still sounds like the future with its tense, thundering drums, killer bassline and swirling synths. Version II loses the drums and percussion but is no less startling. “Staying Power” closes the first side with a relentless, pounding groove which *will* snap your neck. Be warned.
“Trucking Company” is a pacey, synth-and-string masterpiece and its accompanying parts (a–c) mess with the formula to great effect. Part (a) adds echo delay to really dazzle and part (c) plays the breezy, beautiful middle section without the tension. “Hot Cargo” and “Espionage” are both tense spy-funk themes par excellence. “Interplay” is a quiet killer, with flutes over a glistening piano refrain just waiting to be looped. The intro to the menacing “Omen” might’ve been sampled by 7L & Esoteric for their classic “So Glorious” but the entire 5 minute track is a mini-drama masterpiece, one only Mansfield could create.
Even though its a mix of short themes in-and-amongst longer, full-length tracks, Vivid Underscores is still thoroughly listenable from start to finish. That’s not something that can be said of all library records and it still manages to serve as rich resource to keep even the keenest samplers busy for a while.
As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Vivid Underscores comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand ident
La Musica is a dreamy track for the perfect Balearic experience. Written by the "Balearicos" it comes with 2 great remixes, one from the chillout legend Cris Coco and another one from Rudy's Midnight Machine .
The original version comes with a long and chill intro of over 2 minutes where echoes and synthetic pads build up the atmosphere to a heavenly happy place until the beloved classic combo of tr 909 and Korg M1 Pianos send all us back to 90s open air dance floor in Ibiza.
There is where the journey starts, accompanied by the piano chords and Brazilian sounding voices, saying: "La Musica".
After the Hype we go back to a chill place, and a soft ending of the track.
Perfect for a set on the beach or as a warm up record, will fit perfectly in your Balearic session.
Rudy's Midnight Machine takes the elements written by R.B. and shakes everything into a Disco dimension.
All the elements for the perfect track are in place: Funky Bassline, Open Hi Hats and muted guitar plus an exploding chorus with a great melodic hook.
You can't miss this tune if you are into Disco with a classy and modern feeling.
Chris Coco's remix is a classic take made with great taste.
He keeps the harmonic elements as well as the bass line almost intact, plays around with the vocals and adds melodic bits that almost give a tropical feeling.
Don't be fooled by a soft intro because the rhythm is soon coming in and taking the listener to the dancing zone. It may generate good moods and generally happiness.
Earth, Wind & Fire’s sixth studio album That’s the Way of the World rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts. It was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. They won a Rock Music Award for the album in the category of Best Rhythm and Blues Album. The album is filled with gems ranging from the sweat funk of “Shining Star” to the gorgeous ballad “Reasons”.
In 2015, London fusionistas Lokkhi Terra put on a show at Womad and Songlines Encounters festival, where they collaborated withe folk legends from Bangladesh - The Shikor Bangladesh All Stars". The music was based on countless rooftop jams helb back in Dhaka, where Lokkhi Terra had been touring regularly from 2009.
The second in the series of collaborations, this EP takes the iistener back to the beginning, capturing the first musical meetings between both bands. The period when long term Lokkhi Terra collaborator and Dhol Maestro Nazrul Islam (based in Dhaka), introduced his musical inner circle to the visiting Lokkhi Terra musicians. Friendships were forged, and musical conversations were explored. One singer stood out in particular - Dewan Baby Akthar.
Featuring songs by the great Bangladeshi mystics Baul Lalon Shai and Baul Abdul Karim.
"from London's global melting pot Lokkhi Terra joined Bangladeshi musicinas of Shikor for an unlikely but successful fusion that matched Asian influences with Cuban Jazz" The Guardian
180g Vinyl




















